It was a tough last year for New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson. The youngster was celebrating his birthday on 6th July 2021 but he found out that he has a broken right foot, which must have spoiled the party. As a result, Williamson was ruled out of the whole season.
However, one year later on his 22nd birthday, Zion signed a five-year contract extension with New Orleans Pelicans, which could be worth $231 million, if he makes it to the All-NBA team in the next season.
Williamson has shown all the skills in his young career and he has it in him to go a long way in his budding career. The 22-year-old wants to prove his mettle in the NBA and deliver the goods for the team.
Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin revealed that Williamson wanted to stay with the team.
“Zion wanted to make that same level of commitment to this organization,” Griffin said. “He wasn’t looking for a way out. He was looking for a way to stay. His family was looking for a way to be more involved with the community, and you see this here today. This is a human thing.” When Williamson addressed the media, he spoke about how not being able to take the court the last season had taken its toll on him.
Williamson gave his gratitude to New Orleans Pelicans for believing in his abilities and investing in him for the upcoming editions.
“I want to thank my family. I want to thank the YMCA. I want to thank the city of New Orleans, especially Mrs. Benson. Thank y’all for believing in me,” Williamson said. “Just giving a kid like me a chance to showcase my abilities and hopefully help bring the team multiple championships. Thank y’all for sticking with me the past year.
“On my birthday last year, I found out I broke my foot. I was out the whole year. It was a tough year. For the Pelicans to come give me this birthday gift, I’m not going to let them down. I’m not going to let my family down. I’m not going to let the city down. And most importantly, I’m not going to let myself down.”
Williamson revealed that the ultimate goal for him and the team is to win the championship and they are going to try their best to do so.
“I want to prove that I’m a winner,” Williamson said. “It’s as simple as that. I want to win with coach. As well as with my teammates. The ultimate goal is to win the championship. I feel like that’s what we’re all striving for. Like Griff said, we’re hungry. Y’all saw this past year what the team did and I’m just excited to add to that.”
