At the New Orleans Pelicans open practice at the Smoothie King Center in 2019, Zion Williamson attempts to sing Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" as part of her rookie hedging.
Williamson's performance was poor. The crowd booed him because he thought it was taking him too long to start singing.
Three years later, Williamson's second open practice at the Smoothie King Center went more smoothly. Williamson stung with thunder and spent a lot of time signing autographs for many of the 6,519 fans in attendance.
"I've never been in an environment where I could play and interact with fans," Williamson said. "Once I hit a group, I looked around and was like, 'I've got to do a 360.' ,
Due to the pandemic, the Pelicans did not have open practice before Williamson's second season. Last year's open practice was at Thibodeaux. Williamson did not participate because he was still at the beginning of a difficult recovery process from an operation on his right leg.
Williamson won praise during the Pelicans' first week of training camp. Coach Willie Greene said Williamson dominated the team's first match on Tuesday.
"He got off the floor quickly," Green said. "When he caught the ball, he made a quick decision, whether it was scoring, finding a teammate. It was really impressive to see."
Williamson missed his entire third season following a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right leg. He was cleared to play without a ban in May, and two months later he signed a five-year extension worth $193 million with the Pelicans.
The deal included incentives that would reward Williamson if he can score certain goals during the 2022-23 season. The amount of money Williamson can make on his next contract will increase to about $231 million if he wins MVP; Won Defensive Player of the Year; Or earn a spot on the All-NBA First Team this season, a league source said. Only five players earn All-NBA First Team honors each season.
In the 85 games he played as a pro, Williamson averaged 25.7 points on 60.4% shooting. He was a historically proficient high-volume scorer. Williamson averaged 20.3 points in his second year in the paint, the most by any player since Shaquille O'Neill in the 1999–2000 season.
"I think we have a very special group," Williamson said. "I think everyone saw last year. Nice group of people. Everyone wants to see each other succeed."
After taking the Phoenix Suns to six games in a first-round series in April, the Pelicans are looking to bounce back in the postseason. It's been over a decade since New Orleans reached the postseason in back-to-back years.
The New Orleans front office has assembled a talented roster, and many key pieces of the team have been under contract for many years. Veterans CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr recently signed two-year contract extensions.
Williamson said: 'It's good to see that. "I know myself, my first three years, it was always a different group of people. To see some vets stay here and make something special here means a lot. Last season's last game After that I just wanted to be a part of something specials. Seeing CJ Larry, some other guys stick around, I'm excited about the process."
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