Published 15:15 IST, January 22nd 2020
Zion Williamson admits he won't be able to sleep at night ahead of much-awaited NBA debut
In a recent interview with ESPN, Zion Williamson revealed that he might not be able to sleep before the game as he is very excited about his first NBA game.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
There are only a few hours left for Zion Williamson's debut with the New Orleans Pelicans. After a lot of speculations, Zion Williamson's debut against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday morning (Thursday morning IST) was confirmed. In a recent interview with ESPN, Williamson revealed that he might not be able to sleep before the game as he is very excited about his first NBA game. The Pelicans also announced that the game will be nationally telecast by ESPN.
NBA 2019-20: Zion Williamson debut against for the Pelicans to be against the San Antonio Spurs
NBA 2019-20: Zion Williamson debut, injury and recovery
Before his debut against the Spurs was confirmed, there were rumours about Williamson debuting against Utah Jazz. The Pelicans had also shared a video on Williamson practising in Twitter and added the word 'soon' as a caption. According to NBA reports, Williamson was cleared for 5 on 5 practice with the players. He was also seen practising 3 on 3 with coaches and even 4 on 4 before. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on October 21, 2019. The estimated recovery period was around 6-8 weeks.
Also read | Zion Williamson has gained 8 pounds of muscle during this off season, says David Griffin
NBA reports also confirmed that Zion Williamson's meniscus injury has healed completely and the Pelicans want him on the court for some time before he finally made his debut with the team. In December 2019, Zion had been cleared for light shooting. However, a debut date was not given.
After the Pelicans used their top pick to select Zion Williamson, he was probably the most anticipated rookie since LeBron James. Williamson averaged at 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 33 games for the Duke University in the NCAA. Williamson had dealt with some minor knee problems last year. During summer league, the rookie player only lasted for eight minutes. The team had withdrawn him as a precautionary measure to avoid further harm. After a knee sprain during a game, Zion Williamson also missed time for Duke. The sprain was caused due to his sneaker falling apart.
Updated 15:15 IST, January 22nd 2020