Zion Williamson has been putting in extra hours in the gym ever since he strained his left hamstring last week during his team’s Play-in tournament loss against the Lakers. The Pelicans star is focusing on his conditioning and weight room lifting to recover quickly and return to help his team in their first-round series against Oklahoma City.
It has been a week since his injury, and Williamson addressed the media after Tuesday’s training session. He reflected on the unfortunate timing after playing a career-high 70 games this season.
“Super demoralizing at first, can’t lie,” the young star admitted. “The season was going well, so for that to happen, it was demoralizing. But I took a day or two to get past that, and now I’m back on what I’ve been saying all year, stacking my days and getting back on the court.”
“That is definitely realistic. It’s absolutely realistic, but like I said I have to pass tests.”
-Zion Williamson on the possibility of him returning this postseason
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— Boot Krewe Media (@BootKreweMedia) April 23, 2024
The 23-year-old reflected on the injury late in the fourth quarter against the Lakers when he rose up to score his 40th point of the game against Anthony Davis. He limped across the court and signaled to the bench.
“It was super frustrating, especially at that point in the game,” Zion shared. “But my team, my teammates, they handled business, and here we are in the playoffs, so that’s still exciting. I’m excited for them, and hopefully I’ll be able to return to the court.”
When asked about a potential return timeline, Williamson mentioned the need to reach a certain baseline and pass tests. “That is definitely realistic. That is absolutely realistic. But like I said, I got to pass the tests and get back to baseline, and hopefully I’ll be out there,” he expressed regarding his recovery during the playoffs.
The day after the injury, MRI results confirmed a left hamstring strain, requiring a reevaluation two weeks later, slated for next Wednesday.
Williamson reflects on last year’s season-ending injury as “bittersweet”
The New Orleans forward had a dominant season last year until he suffered a hamstring injury to his right leg on January 2, ending his season. With this new health issue, he compared it to last year’s injury, stating that last year’s felt worse.
“That was definitely one of those kind of bittersweet moments,” said the superstar, averaging 22.9 points per game this season. “At least it’s not like [last year]. So just build off of that.”
Back then, he described feeling sharp pain in his right leg, very different from his current state where he feels like “something’s off.”
“I really love hooping, so it was bittersweet for me, if I’m being honest,” Zion expressed. “The whole time I just kept envisioning myself out there and my impact on the game, but at the same time I had to put aside my personal feelings and be there for my teammates.”
