Pelicans’ Star Zion Williamson Responds To Criticism That He ‘Doesn’t Care’

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is pushing back on criticism that he has faced throughout his career, but says it “comes with the territory.”

Williamson was the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft but has struggled to be on the court, dealing with injuries and allegations. Williamson, in his lone season at Duke, had one of the greatest freshman seasons of all time, being named the Naismith Player of the Year in 2019.

Williamson, 25, is a two-time All-Star, but it would be fair to say that his career has been a disappointment so far, as he has only played more than 60 games twice in his career.

The Pelicans’ star sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews and answered the critics, saying, “There are pros and cons to being in a certain position. Critics come with the territory.”

“The part that would get at me the most is, people saying I didn’t care and I care a lot. I really care and when you’re not on the court and you just have to sit on the sideline, how much my critics hate it, I hate it more than them. Because I don’t want to be on the sideline, I want to be out there on the court. That was a part of the process of looking in the mirror. Am I doing enough? Am I really doing what I need to do?”

“Going through all those injuries and missing lots of time because of it, it did a lot on my mental, but it also helped me grow as a pro,” Williamson added.

Williamson spoke on how difficult it was to miss his entire third season in the NBA.

“There was a lot of criticism on my weight, my care for the game,” Williamson said. “But the whole time I’m looking at a doctor and the doctor is telling me that, ‘yeah we’re going to perform this surgery, but if this surgery doesn’t work we really don’t know the next step.’ And people are saying what they’re saying and everybody is entitled to their own opinion. It is what it is. I’m in Portland rehabbing, not knowing if my foot’s going to heal.”

Williamson is on track to have his most healthy season since 2024, when he played 70 games. The question has never been about talent, as Williamson is averaging 24.1 points-per-game in 45 games.