Zion Williamson can at least say at this point that he is not in denial.
The New Orleans Pelicans star Williamson spoke with reporters on Monday at team media day. During his remarks, Williamson got stunningly candid about his NBA career thus far.
“I am not where I want to be,” said Williamson. “I am just not where I need to be. I’m not where I need to be, not where I want to be.”
"I am not where I want to be… I am just not where I need to be and I'm not where I want to be.
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) September 28, 2026
— Zion Williamson on how he feels about his NBA career pic.twitter.com/CDwsTI291w
That was a surprisingly honest admission by Williamson and a very accurate one at that. Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick by the Pelicans in 2019 and did manage to make All-Star teams in 2021 and 2023.
But now at 26 years old, Williamson has still fallen well short of expectations. Though Williamson is a career 24-ppg scorer, he has been plagued by injuries, poor conditioning, and many other personal issues over the years that have derailed his potential as an NBA superstar. Even more jarring is the fact that Williamson still has never played in a single playoff game as a member of the Pelicans.
Williamson is probably nearing rock bottom at this point after back-to-back 55-loss seasons with New Orleans in addition to the disturbing lawsuit that the ex-Duke star is still facing. But Williamson has plenty left to play for with the Pelicans owing him $87 million over the next two seasons, and he is at least taking the first step of recognizing that there is a problem.
