17-Year NBA Veteran Reacts to Zion Williamson Punishment

Zion Williamson's return from suspension wasn't enough to lift the New Orleans Pelicans over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. Williamson scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded a season-high five steals in the loss. New Orleans dropped to 8-31 on the season.

Zion has had his injury issues again this year, missing 27 straight games with a hamstring injury. His newest issue was the team's disciplinarian actions against him for violating team policies. New Orleans suspended the two-time all-star for last Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

In a statement that Williamson released after the suspension, the former No. 1 overall pick expressed remorse for his actions and vowed to improve.

Steal and Bucket for Z 👏 pic.twitter.com/MeKXxVV4wX
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 13, 2025

Williamson: "I take full responsibility for this suspension. I’ve worked extremely hard in rehab to get healthy to deliver for this team. There is no excuse for being late to team activities. I have apologized to Mrs. Benson and my teammates and coaches, and I also owe an apology to the fans. I can and will be better as a teammate and member of this organization.”

Former 17-year NBA veteran Lou Williams gave his opinion on the Zion situation and how Williamson's actions now may be affecting what happens to him in the future. Williams did not mince words when speaking on the Run It Back show sponsored by FanDuel.

Williams: "There's no excuse for this. Chandler can attest to this; to be late to a team plane is almost impossible."

Zion Williamson was suspended by the Pelicans for missing the team plane 😱🛫

"There's no excuse for this. Chandler can attest to this; to be late to a team plane is almost impossible." - @TeamLou23

WE'RE LIVE ⬇️https://t.co/CfAwAvgFYZ @MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/GUlKIQamlr
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 13, 2025

Williams explained how a player's reputation follows them, whether on their current team or potential teams looking to acquire Williamson in the future. In Williams's opinion, "Zion's credit is bad...other teams aren't gonna be as patient as the New Orleans Pelicans have been," the former veteran explained.

Zion is only 24 years old but one of the most electric players in basketball when he's healthy. Williamson has missed over half of the Pelicans' games since they drafted him in 2019. Williamson signed a five-year extension with New Orleans in 2022 and played a career-high 70 games last year.

Zion Williamson Gets Brutally Honest After Blowout Loss to Warriors

New Orleans Pelicans Make Roster Move After Loss to Warriors

Brandon Ingram's Honest Statement on Pelicans' Loss to Warriors

Related Articles