Latest Zion Williamson injury update does not sound good

Dec 17, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Zion Williamson’s injury woes have yet to cease even after five full seasons in the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans star has been out since early November due to a hamstring injury. Williamson has played in just six of his team’s first 22 contests. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Zion’s total missed games will only continue to rise in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, Charania appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and revealed that Williamson is still “not close” to returning.

“[Zion Williamson] is still out about a month later,” said Charania. “He’s not close to coming back. He’s not going to come back this week or next week. … That hamstring, it’s been a chronic issue for him.”

"Zion Williamson has been out for about a month and he's not close to coming back..

That hamstring has been a chronic issue for him"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vIyHXCHrKZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 3, 2024

The bright spot for Pelicans fans is that Williamson has reportedly been able to “get on the basketball court” for some “very, very light activity.” But it’s not great to hear his hamstring injury get labeled as a “chronic issue.”

Williamson’s extended absence has been a familiar story for the Pelicans star, who has battled injury woes in every season of his NBA career. Williamson came into training camp in excellent shape. He was firing warning shots at the rest of the NBA and photos of him looking skinny were going viral on social media.

In six games this season, Williamson has averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on just 45.2% shooting.