The New Orleans Pelicans have been in the middle of an off-season filled with drama that has created a dark cloud over the organization heading into the season. Media day was the perfect time to make those clouds go away and get some positive shine just a few weeks before opening night. The guy at the center of the event was none other than Zion Williamson.
Zion has been at the epicenter of all the drama due to his alleged unhappiness in the Big Easy. A report earlier in the off-season by The Athletic detailed how Zion’s family thought poorly about the team and how organizational missteps created untrust between the two parties. Just last week, a NOLA.com piece by Christian Clark went deeper between the apparent rift that formed between Willaimson and Pelicans executive David Griffin.
The report hinged on the “bursts” playing time format Zion had to deal with while rehabbing a knee injury during his rookie season. The injury was less significant than the team made it seem and delayed his debut by multiple weeks.
What made headlines was the account about David Griffin playing the piano for Zion while in the NBA Bubble last season. The claim set Pelicans Twitter ablaze and birthed this wondrous tweet:
Happy Thursday (via: @SportsWaveMedia) pic.twitter.com/X6IzqYCwm1
— Pelican Debrief (@PelicanDebrief) September 23, 2021
As funny as it is to imagine Griffin serenading his young superstar, it was hard to imagine the story being 100% accurate. Reporters wasted no time asking Zion about all the off-season hoopla, and his responses were predictable.
As if he graduated with a Ph.D. from the LeBron James school of telling the media what they want to hear, Zion put on a stellar performance. He quickly shot down any notion that he disliked New Orleans by proclaiming his love for the city.
As much as it could be true, his constant reinforcement means little. Athletes that want to maintain a clean public image wouldn’t be publicly dismissive of their team’s city. It creates unwanted drama, and Zion presumably wouldn’t want that for himself or his teammates.
As for the drama with Griffin, he shot that down instantly. Zion said he would “never let a grown man come to his hotel room to play the piano for him” and insinuated the situation never happened.
Zion said all the right things, and that is what he was supposed to do. Despite the fact he is young, he’s young and clearly understands how these things work. It’s nice that he endorsed the city and Griffin, but it’s something that shouldn’t be taken with much weight.
It’s going to be an integral relationship for the relationship between the front office and Zion. In the meantime, he is doing a great job putting the focus on basketball and not himself. The Pelicans can focus on basketball, something that has to be refreshing for a fan base starving for success.