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Zion Williamson’s Stepdad Contradicts Previous Reports By Hinting At An Imminent Return

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Zion Williamson's Stepdad Contradicts Previous Reports By Hinting At An Imminent Return

Getty Image / Sean Gardner


  • It was previously reported the New Orleans Pelicans shut Zion Williamson down for the season but that might not be true after all
  • Zion’s stepdad hinted at a possibly imminent return to the court with the Pelicans fighting for a play-in game spot in the NBA Playoffs
  • Read more NBA stories here

New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson has turned into one of those NBA players where we talk more about the person than the player. Back on March 21st, it was being widely reported that the New Orleans Pelicans had shut Zion down for the season and that was that…right? Not so fast.

Zion followed up those rumors with a video of a colossal between-the-legs dunk that many founds found to be fish as the floor moved while Zion was dunking. And now we’re here, with Zion Williamson’s stepdad, Lee Anderson, hinting that Zion could return to play for the Pelicans this season even though the Pels only have 4 regular-season games left.

Zion Williamson’s Stepdad Hints At An Imminent Return To The Court

Zion Williamson’s stepdad was a guest on The Jordy Culotta Show on Tuesday morning (first reported by ESPN’s Andrew Lopez), and had this to say:

Lee Anderson: “I expect him to play. If you were to ask Zion, I’m sure he would probably say the same thing. But with just a couple of games left, with the magnitude of what’s going on in New Orleans and the opportunity to qualify for the play-in game and possibly get into a seven-game series, that would be off the charts in the city of New Orleans. That would be a plus in New Orleans. That would be a plus for Zion with the way things are right now.”

“Do I expect him to play? Certainly I do. That’s on me, though. That’s purely me. I don’t think there’s anything else that would hinder him from doing that right now.”

“He’s feeling great. Speaking for the Pelicans staff, and not saying any names, they mentioned to me that they are just one player away from being where we need to be at. That was enough for me to know that they are putting some stock in Zion getting healthy and being ready for the long haul.”

“But my thing with the long haul, you have to wait on it. The short haul, sometimes when you’re faced with an opportunity right now, you never know when you’re going to be presented with that opportunity again in the long haul or how long it’ll be from that time. I’m a guy that believes in taking advantage of the moment at hand. Let’s deal with it right now and let’s go forward and see what happens.”

Zion’s stepdad believes he is healthy and he says that Williamson has told him ‘I am a lot better than I’ve been and you guys have to trust me.’ But they have to rely on the medical staff in New Orleans to make the final decisions and use their best judgment for long-term success.

What do the fans have to say about this report?

New Orleans currently occupies the 9th seed in the West and are vying for the play-in game and a shot at a series in the proper NBA Playoffs. Getting Zion Williamson back would be HUGE for the team. But it remains to be seen if these are the words of an optimistic stepfather or if Zion could actually come back in the next few days.