after a knee injury kept him out for months. Williamson went into the game with a lot of hype surrounding him so there was pressure to be one of the best players on the court. While on a minutes restriction, Williamson didn’t disappoint as he scored 22 points and 7 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action. This included 17-straight points in the fourth quarter which gave his team the lead. Head coach Alvin Gentry eventually removed Zion from the game and the Pelicans lost. 

After the game, Zion was asked about his debut and what he thought about the entire ordeal. The game was played in New Orleans and Williamson received a ton of love from the crowd. Zion recognized all of it and was grateful for his warm reception.

“It was everything I dreamed of, except the losing part,” Williamson said. “The energy the city brought, it was electric. I’m just grateful they did that. It was a dream come true.”

As the season goes on, Williamson will continue to be on a minutes restriction thanks to his proneness for injuries. The Pelicans want to make sure their investment is safe for the long haul which you can’t blame them for. Hopefully, Williamson can get himself to 100 percent so he can dominate the league for years to come.