Zion Williamson is ready to put a difficult offseason behind him and light up the NBA in the coming season, according to his New Orleans Pelicans teammate CJ McCollum.
Williamson’s 2022-23 campaign ended on January 2 due to a hamstring issue, but a string of injuries had led to analysts such as Stephen A. Smith questioning how committed the 2019 No. 1 Draft pick was to the game.
Then, in the offseason, Williamson’s private life was propelled into the spotlight when pornstar Moriah Mills reacted to news that the NBA star was expecting a baby with his girlfriend with an onslaught of tweets about their own relationship and even threatened to release a sex tape of the pair together.
Williamson has not addressed the Mills saga and, according to teammate McCollum, has instead focused on making sure he can provide his best on the court for the new season, which begins next week.
‘I do feel like he has matured a lot. I feel like he has an understanding of what’s expected of him and exactly what he needs to do consistently in order to be available,’ McCollum said, speaking to the New York Post.
Zion Williamson is raring to go for the new NBA season, says Pelicans teammate CJ McCollum
Williamson’s last NBA game was on January 2 – a hamstring issued then sidelined him
Williamson had a distracted offseason due to a string of accusations by Moriah Mills
‘I think he understands how good he can be when he’s doing the little things. Playing the game is the easiest thing for him. He’s a gamer, the lights are on, he likes to show off — and really just show how good he is at the sport.
‘The hard part is the day-to-day stuff. I think he’s gotten a lot better at that, which will allow him to be a lot more successful — consistently — throughout an entire season -Taking care of your body. Foam rolling. Stretching.
‘The little things that you don’t really have to do when you’re younger. You just have to hoop. But as you get older, it’s about body maintenance.
‘He sits next to me in the locker room and on the plane and I have seen a concerted effort in doing all things the right way, which is good for all of us.’
The Pelicans start the season next Wednesday, October 25 at Memphis Grizzlies before they host New York Knicks in their first home game of the season.
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