Coming into the league, Zion Williamson was already a basketball sensation among sports pundits and NBA fans. In fact, many even touted him as the future face of the league and become one of the best players the league has ever seen. While Zion has shown shades of stardom here and there, he hasn’t reached the level that he was expected to.
The biggest thorn in his side has been recurring foot injuries. The Pelicans star’s right foot was surgically repaired this summer and since then he has been in rehab. Earlier, it was revealed that he will still take part in this season.
But due to his poor rehab habits, he has now been ruled out to play basketball indefinitely. This is not only a blow to Williamson but to the Pelicans as well. The franchise is down badly and could use some help from their young star. As things stand as of now, they will not get that help.
While Zion will not play basketball for an unknown amount of time, he will still be getting paid by the Jordan brand. When Zion arrived in the league, he signed a heft deal with the sneaker brand.
The deal, signed in 2019, offered him a guaranteed $75 million over five years. So even if Zion doesn’t feature even in a single game this season, he will take at least $15 million home.
Despite sitting out more games than he has played in his career, Zion has an incredible fan following. It is quite evident with the fact that Williamson already has his signature shoe.
Speaking about his career in the NBA, Williamson is currently averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. However, we should take it with a pinch of salt as the sample size is not that big.
No offense about his potential, but for his potential to be unlocked he needs to spend more time on the court. Hopefully, he returns from rehab soon and can help his team next season.
As things stand right now, this season is already beyond saving. The Pelicans are currently 8-21 and sit in the last spot in the Western Conference.
