The headlines continued to find Zion Williamson throughout most of this offseason.
The No. 1 pick from the 2019 NBA Draft once again was unable to stay on the court, playing in just 29 games this past season. Coming back from that, alone, is stressful enough.
However, over the summer, Williamson was hit with some off-court drama with a former adult film actress Moriah Mills, who said she “genuinely loved” him. Mills also claimed the two had a sex tape and threatened to sue Williamson for the “damages you have caused my life.”
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New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, #1, drives against Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, #12, during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia Jan. 2, 2023. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
Williamson stayed silent on the rumors, but he did open up about his dieting struggles, admitting that it’s been “hard.”
It has been several months since that all went down, and now, Williamson is a week away from getting back on the court.
“I thought it was a normal offseason,” Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans teammate, CJ McCollum, joked when he recently spoke to Fox News.
Zion Williamson, #1, and CJ McCollum, #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans, during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Dec. 31, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
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In all seriousness, McCollum said Williamson is ready to take on his fifth NBA season.
“I think he’s in a good space. He’s learned a lot from not only this previous summer but the entire and career he’s had here in New Orleans,” McCollum said. “He’s learned how to be a professional, he’s learned how to take care of his body. He’s learned that he can have success when he does certain things, and now, it’s about sustaining that over the course of the season. So I think he’s in a really good space.”
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, #1, against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center in Phoenix Dec. 17, 2022. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
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Williamson has played in 24, 61, zero and 29 games since being drafted. It should be noted that his first two seasons were shortened due to COVID-19, but it is apparent he has been unable to stay healthy. Last year, it was a hamstring injury in January that wound up costing him his season.
When he is on the floor, he is a beast, averaging 25.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his career.