New Orleans Pelicans’ fans were rightfully concerned when they found out that All-Star forward Zion Williamson hurt his ankle in Wednesday’s preseason game versus Miami Heat. However, there seem to be no reasons for concern, according to Williamson himself.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Williamson explained that he exited the Heat game as a measure of precaution. The ankle injury is just slight soreness, and he expects to be back in action real soon.
“It was one of those things where it happened, and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,’” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double check.”
Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green also confirmed that Williamson isn’t dealing with anything serious and is considered day-to-day.
Injuries have been a major issue for Zion Williamson since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2019. Williamson missed much of his rookie year dealing with a torn meniscus and managed only to play 24 games. After an All-Star outing in 2020-21, the Duke product got hurt again and was forced to undergo surgery due to a foot fracture. This caused him to miss the entire last season.
In his three years as a pro, Williamson managed to play only 85 games but was as good as advertised when on the court. His NBA averages include 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
