Published 16:25 IST, January 20th 2020
Zion Williamson's expected NBA debut for New Orleans Pelicans moved to national broadcast
Zion Williamson, who was the No.1 Draft pick, has missed 40 games of his rookie NBA season for New Orleans Pelicans so far after he suffered from a knee injury.
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The wait could be finally over for New Orleans Pelicans fans, who have been anxious to watch the NBA No.1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson take the court for the team. Williamson has missed 40 games of his rookie NBA contest after suffering from a knee injury. Earlier, multiple reports suggested that Williamson could actually make his debut on Thursday night (Friday IST) against Utah Jazz. However, Pelicans Executive Vice President David Griffin recently confirmed that those reports were incorrect.
"Our anticipation is that he'll play his first game on the 22nd at home vs. San Antonio"
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 15, 2020
Full statement from @dg_riff on the return of @ZionWilliamson 🎥⤵️ pic.twitter.com/t889IPH0aZ
Zion Williamson's NBA debut
According to a report in The Score, ESPN has shifted its broadcast schedule to Wednesday, January 22 to account for the anticipated debut of New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson. Instead of the previously scheduled game between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets, ESPN will televise the Pelicans' home game versus the San Antonio Spurs.
The #Pelicans announced the Jan. 22 home game vs the Spurs will be nationally televised by ESPN with a new tipoff time of 8:30 p.m. CT.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 17, 2020
The game will also be televised locally on @FOXSportsNOLA with a one-hour Pelicans Live pregame show beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT!#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/7pKmsy9JYO
Also Read: Zion Williamson Falls Asleep During Tense Final Quarter Between Pelicans & Pistons: WATCH
NBA: Zion Williamson's injury
Zion Williamson underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn right lateral meniscus in October 2019, which delayed his debut for the Pelicans. In a recent interview, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry stated that when Zion Williamson makes his debut, he will play for limited minutes, at least initially.
NBA: Zion Williamson's stats
Zion Williamson had a great season for the Duke University in the NCAA championship where he averaged at 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 33 games.
16:25 IST, January 20th 2020