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A recent viral video suggested Zion Williamson is quitting the NBA, sending fans into a frenzy. However, the news wasn't verified, creating confusion among fans' minds.
Williamson, a former No. 1 pick, has dealt with multiple injury blows since his debut in 2019. He has missed 194 games in his four-year NBA career. Percentage-wise, it's 58.7, and Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a broken foot.
This year, he missed eight games due to Covid protocols before he sustained a hamstring strain in the Pelicans' 120-111 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers (January 2). He re-aggravated the injury in February, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.
The Pelicans suffered a play-in tournament loss against the OKC Thunder and failed to make the playoffs in his absence. Zion Williamson's lack of availability has questioned his reliability as a franchise cornerstone. It has also impacted him mentally.
Despite recovering from his injury this season, Zion revealed that he couldn't be on the floor, citing that he wasn't mentally prepared to return to action. These facts only led many fans to believe the viral video suggesting Williamson was quitting the NBA.
However, it was a clickbait thumbnail and headline. The video was probably made after the 2021-22 season when Williamson had missed the entire year recovering from foot surgery. It talks about the trade rumors he was involved in last season and his potential landing spots.
Click here to view the video.
New Orleans Pelicans are one healthy Zion Williamson season away from making noise in the West
Zion Williamson's injury-prone nature has everyone questioning the longevity of his career and reliability as a franchise cornerstone. He hasn't disappointed much when available, averaging 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting an efficient 60.5% in 114 career games.
Williamson's presence stormed the Pelicans atop the Western Conference standings before his injury. They were 23-13 before the game against the 76ers on January 2 when Williamson went down with a hamstring problem that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
New Orleans slipped to a ninth-place finish with a 42-40 record. Considering Williamson's dominance when he was active, it's safe to say the Pelicans would've avoided the play-in tournament and qualified as a top-six seed.
New Orleans was one win away from possibly finishing fifth in the standings leading up to their season finale. However, they lost two of their last four, including their final game, which pushed them down to ninth.
Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum held their own for the longest time with the role players, proving that New Orleans is indeed deep and just a healthy Zion Williamson season away from posing a legitimate challenge in the West.
