National Basketball Association

Zion Williamson facing mental hurdles before return from injury

Updated Apr. 11, 2023 8:03 p.m. ET

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson acknowledged that he isn't only trying to overcome a physical hurdle before he returns from a hamstring injury, but also a mental hurdle.

In fact, Williamson said the mental challenge is the only obstacle that is in his way from making a return.

"I can pretty much do everything," Williamson told reporters Tuesday. "It's just a matter of the level that I was playing at before my hamstring. I'm just a competitor. I don't want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team. I can just be on the sidelines supporting them more.

"I know myself. If I was to go out there, I would be in my head a lot. I would hesitate on certain moves. And that could affect the game."

Williamson has been out since Jan. 2 when he first suffered the hamstring strain. Around the All-Star break in February, Williamson suffered a setback that was supposed to shelve him for a few more weeks. He resumed basketball activities on March 22 and the team announced then that they'd have another update two weeks later, which opened the door for a possible return.

But the Pelicans announced on April 6 that Williamson would remain out for the foreseeable future, revealing that he'd at least miss the play-in tournament.

The recent 45-game absence for Williamson is just one of a few injuries that have caused him to miss a great deal of time in his four-year career. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick has played in just 114 games, missing the entire 2021-22 season due to a Jones fracture and the majority of his rookie season due to a torn meniscus.

Williamson said it was "very frustrating" that he hasn't been able to take the floor consistently.

"S--- sucks," Williamson said. "I don't know how else to say it. I love this game. I say it over and over. For those people that think I want to sit on the sidelines just to sit over there, I don't know why people think that. It sucks. I just want to be playing basketball. For real."

Williamson added that it's "tough" that people have the perception that they think he doesn't want to play.

"From my perspective, I just want to play basketball," Williamson said. "I wanna hoop. I wanna play the game I love. The reality of it is, whether I check my phone or I'm watching TV, no matter what it is, I can't really escape what the world thinks. What people's opinions are. So, it's frustrating."

Williamson was in the midst of a career year when he suffered the injury, averaging 26 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 60.8% from the field.

New Orleans will have to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday and the loser of Tuesday's Minnesota Timberwolves-Los Angeles Lakers play-in game in order to make the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.

Williamson didn't specify when a return to game action could happen, but said what would need to happen in order for him to play.

"I don't feel like there are any specific benchmarks for being Zion," Williamson said. "It's just a matter of when I feel like myself. … Just feeling like myself and knowing I can have a big impact for my team."

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