Zion Williamson has telling admission about play that sparked brawl
Sep 27, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Zion Williamson during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson had a surprising comment about the play that sparked a huge fight in riday’s game against the Miami Heat at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La.
Williamson didn’t get involved in the scuffle during his team’s 106-95 loss to the Heat. But the Pelicans forward took a physical foul from Kevin Love early in the fourth quarter that sparked the entire altercation (video here).
Players exchanged words and blows, leading to the ejection of Jimmy Butler, Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado, and Thomas Bryant. Even a couple of fans were tossed from the venue.
Williamson had an interesting admission about the entire ordeal: he wasn’t even mad at Love. In fact, the 2-time All-Star believed that the Heat veteran “protected” him from a potential bad landing.
“I wasn’t tripping about K-Love because he actually protected me on my fall,” Williamson said, via ESPN. “All of a sudden I see Butler kind of lunging toward Naji, so I’m trying to get there like, ‘Yo, relax, like what’s going on?'”
Marshall and Butler had to be separated because they were “defending” their respective teammates. Alvarado and Bryant were motivated to fight for the same reason. But Love and Williamson — the guys actually involved in the initial incident — weren’t even at odds.
In that light, it’s borderline humorous that an entire brawl was started because of unnecessary bravado.
