Just a few years ago, Zion Williamson was at the center of the basketball world as one of its shining stars. But now, after having missed a whole season, and with the rise of other notable young prospects (like Victor Wembanyama), Williamson finds himself in uncharted territory entering the 2022-23 campaign and he will have a lot to prove if he wants to re-take his position as one of the best players in the league.
So far, Williamson seems to be in good spirits as he prepares for another long 82-game grind, but he did admit that it took some time to bounce back from what he called a ‘dark place’ last season.
Zion Williamson Gets Real On The Impact Of Last Season’s Struggles
Due to injuries and unforeseen obstacles, Williamson failed to play a single game, leaving the Pelicans, and the world, to wonder if he’d ever be the same. Even today, there are questions about Zion’s durability and weight at this stage of his career.
According to Williamson himself, all of the stress put an immense burden on him that became almost too much to handle at times.
Zion is out of shape, they said (albeit in much harsher terms). Zion isn’t committed to the game. Zion isn’t committed to New Orleans. Zion is detached from his teammates. The physical recovery was hard enough. The negativity was suffocating.
“I was in dark places at times,” Williamson says, “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.”
Outwardly, he’s in the best shape of his career, though he greets questions about weight, body fat and other metrics with just a sprawling smile. He’s pleased, yes. But Team Zion isn’t ready to disclose specifics on this day, not with another three weeks of work before reporting to training camp. “I’m not done yet,” Williamson says. “I’ve grown. I learned a lot about myself, learned more about the game.”
We have all seen what Zion can do on the basketball court. When healthy, he’s right up there with the best in the league.
It remains to be seen, however, if he has what it takes to lead the Pelicans to a deep postseason run. With CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and others, this very well could be the year.
Until then, there will continue to be doubts.
