Zion Williamson may now be back from injury, but he still apparently isn’t seeing eye-to-eye with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Speaking with reporters at practice on Thursday, the Pelicans star forward Williamson addressed his current health situation. Williamson stressed that he is healthy enough to play in back-to-back games but has not been doing so since New Orleans has decided to hold him out.
“Let me make this clear to everybody out there. If I could play in the back-to-backs, I would,” said Williamson. “Physically? Yes, I can. But I work for the Pelicans. They have decided that, based off the numbers, it’s not smart to do that right now. If that’s what they feel, I’m rocking with them on that. But yes. If I could play in a back-to-back, I would.”
Here is the full video clip (per Fletcher Mackel of WDSU in New Orleans).
Here's Zion Williamson talking about why he doesn't play back-to-back games right now for the #pelicans pic.twitter.com/cUjol3Fvnh
— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) January 30, 2025
The two-time All-Star Williamson definitely seemed a bit frustrated there, especially with his “But I work for the Pelicans” line. You can’t really blame New Orleans, especially at 12-36 this season, for exercising caution with the oft-injured and out-of-shape Williamson. He already missed more than two months earlier this year with a hamstring injury and has played in less than 200 total games ever since being drafted in 2019. But for his part, it sounds like Williamson definitely wants to play right now.
Williamson and the Pelicans have had a rocky relationship over the years with many reports claiming friction between the two sides. The 24-year-old was also recently suspended by the team because of a concerning pattern of tardiness. With the NBA trade deadline now just one week away and recent rumors suggesting that the Pelicans are shopping Williamson, the apparent disconnect between the two sides here definitely feels like it matters.
