New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson acknowledged Monday that public criticism of his commitment has been the most painful aspect of an NBA career repeatedly interrupted by injury. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick spoke candidly during a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews on “NBA Today.”
“The part that would get at me the most is people saying I didn’t care and I care a lot,” Williamson said. “I really care and when you’re not on the court and you just have to sit on the sideline, how much my critics hate it, I hate it more than them. Because I don’t want to be on the sideline, I want to be out there on the court. That was a part of the process of looking in the mirror. Am I doing enough? Am I really doing what I need to do? Going through all those injuries and missing lots of time because of it, it did a lot on my mental, but it also helped me grow as a pro.”
Williamson identified the third year of his career when he missed the entire 2021-22 season as his lowest point. Facing an uncertain surgical outcome, he endured relentless public scrutiny over his fitness and dedication.
Williamson, who is represented by
“There was a lot of criticism on my weight, my care for the game,” he said. “But the whole time I’m looking at a doctor and the doctor is telling me that, ‘yeah we’re going to perform this surgery, but if this surgery doesn’t work we really don’t know the next step.’ And people are saying what they’re saying and everybody is entitled to their own opinion. It is what it is. I’m in Portland rehabbing, not knowing if my foot’s going to heal. And it was frustrating and I was really low because I just wanted to play basketball. I just wanted to play the game I loved, but every time you turn the TV on and every time I checked my phone, it was nothing but negative criticism. And at the time, it did a lot.”
Williamson played just 24 games as a rookie, missed the full 2021-22 campaign and was limited to 29 games in 2022-23 due to a hamstring injury. He has surpassed 50 games played in a season only twice across six years.
Williamson currently has the NBA’s 10th best PER this season and is 43rd in RealGM’s Player Value Index Rankings.
Williamson, who is represented by Bill Duffy, can become a free agent in 2028.