“I was in dark places at times…I felt helpless, I couldn’t do nothing about it” – Zion Williamson shares his agony of criticism on his injury, admits being skeptical and afraid to never step on the court again

A lot was expected of Zion Williamson when he first entered the NBA. Many felt he would be the league's next phenom. While he's shown flashes of that, the former No. 1 pick has left fans and analysts wanting more.

In just his second season, Williamson averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 61.1% from the floor. Unfortunately, he followed that up by missing all of last season due to a foot injury.

From the start, critics were concerned that Zion's body wasn't going to hold up through the rigors of a long NBA season. So far, that has proven to be true. In his first three seasons, the 2021 All-Star has appeared in just 85 games.

Now fully healthy again, the Pelicans big man is ready to get his career back on track. It's been a long journey back for him, and it took its toll at times. During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, he touched on the dark times he went through in the recovery process.

“I was in dark places at times...because I couldn’t play basketball. I could only do limited rehab things. And then just seeing how the world reacted? It took a lot. It did a lot on my spirit.”

Zion Williamson had fear that his career could have been over

Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Pelicans

There have been countless examples of top NBA picks having their careers cut short from injuries. Due to his physical stature, Zion Williamson will always struggle to stay on the floor.

Part of what made the recovery process so daunting for the New Orleans Pelicans forward was the outside noise. The chatter around him and his injury was tough to hear. He was worried that his career would end before he got the chance to make a name for himself.

“I felt helpless. I couldn’t do nothing about it. While [pundits] are telling me I don’t care about my teammates, or I’m a bad teammate, or I don’t want to be somewhere. The whole time I’m worried about my foot. I’m worried about, Man, I hope my foot heals right. Because if it doesn’t, who knows, I may not get to play basketball again.”

Luckily for Zion Williamson, he has a chance to silence his doubters. His critics won't have much to say if he can stay healthy and play at a high level.

The New Orleans Pelicans open their 2022-23 season against the Brooklyn Nets on October 19.