It has been a long, long time but Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is about to play NBA basketball again.
Fans of the team have been waiting, mostly patiently, for Williamson’s big return and it’s been a painful journey as he has inched ever closer to being back on the floor.
The wait is over and the time has come: Williamson is back.
"Oh…I'm playing Wednesday…"
Zion is ready for Opening Night!@Zionwilliamson | @PelicansNBA | #Pelicans pic.twitter.com/rVba6PWXqG
— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) October 17, 2022
There were some who were concerned that Williamson would miss the opening night game on Wednesday.
He was suffering from a nagging injury last week and it cast doubt on his status for this week.
But Williamson definitively shot down the idea of him not participating in the team’s first game of the season.
Speaking to the press, he made it clear: “Oh, I’m playing Wednesday.”
He added: “Unless God don’t got in his plans for me to play Wednesday, I’m playing Wednesday.”
Williamson said all of this with a smile, showing that he was not only healthy but also excited.
Williamson’s Return
The rest of the Pelicans have done a great job at holding the fort down during Williamson’s absence.
They didn’t get far in the playoffs last year but they turned the regular season around and had a very strong showing for most of the year.
New Orleans obviously has something special at its core, led by Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, and others.
But it’s always been known that Williamson is the missing piece, the last player needed to make them ready for postseason greatness.
If he is able to stay healthy all season, the team will substantially build upon the foundation laid last year.
NEXT: Zion Williamson Is Hyping Up His Own Return