Zion Williamson celebrated his birthday in a unique and humbling fashion as he signed his max extension on Wednesday at the Dryades YMCA in New Orleans. The local Y is where the former Dukie and his stepfather have been running summer basketball camps.
𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟: @ZionWilliamson has signed a contract extension with the #Pelicans! 💪 pic.twitter.com/zKiXS1ku9W
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 6, 2022
At 22-years-old, Williamson will come into his fourth NBA season with a lot to prove after missing all of last season with a broken foot. Injuries have hampered the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft during his few years in the League. When healthy, Williamson has been an All-Star and one of the best young talents amongst the new generation attempting to take over as the old heads like LeBron James and Stephen Curry advance in age.
“I want to prove that I’m a winner. Simple as that. I want to win with coach. I want to win with my teammates. The ultimate goal is to win a championship,” he said per FoxNews. “I feel like that’s what we’re all striving for. Like [Pelicans GM David Griffin] said, we’re hungry. Y’all saw this past year what the team did. I’m just excited to add to that.”
"The ultimate goal is to win a championship." 😤 pic.twitter.com/aLYyoJA9pi
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 6, 2022
After he signed his deal, Williamson said that he wanted to prove he was a “winner” and that he wanted to do it in New Orleans. He also thanked the Pelicans organization for betting and believing in him during a tumultuous season when many outside New Orleans questioned his durability and constantly raised the notion that Williamson wanted to leave for greener pasture.
“Thank y’all for really sticking with me the past year. It was a tough year, and then for the Pelicans to come give this birthday gift, I’m not going to let ’em down. I’m not going to let the city down, I’m not going to let my family down, and most of all, I’m not going to let myself down,” he said.
Above all, and as aforementioned, Williamson seems to be locked in with the Pelicans and has made it publicly clear that he wants to maximize his opportunities with the only franchise he’s ever known. The most important thing to take away is that Williamson will be with the Pelicans until 2028, when he’s 28-years-old.
“The last few months were a roller-coaster of emotions. The world just ran with narratives, and so when my family was going out in public, they’re getting harassed by people about why we don’t like New Orleans or why we don’t want to be here when that’s not the case at all,” he said.
“I wasn’t able to play because my foot was broke. Every time I checked my phone, it’s always something negative. Even when you’re trying to make positive of the situation, it was very tough.”
Through the 85 games Williamson has played, he has averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. The last time he was healthy., Williamson averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 61.1 percent shooting from the field during his first All-Star campaign.
