The New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson‘s hamstring injury kicked off an interesting argument on the ‘UNDISPUTED’ show. The panel of Paul Pierce, Skip Bayless, and Keyshawn Johnson dived into the severity of the injury, which ended up being a roast session for the Celtics legend. Not only was Pierce outnumbered on the show, but he was also arguing about injuries against an NFL legend, which is pretty much a losing battle.
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As physically demanding a game as basketball is, in recent years, the physicality has gone down significantly. However, even at its best, basketball could never hold a candle to the things that are a norm on a football field. So, when the discussion went toward athletes pushing through injuries, Johnson had to defend his honor as someone who spent 10 years in the NFL.
.@keyshawn: “Basketball players can have a hangnail and you’re done for the week.”@RealSkipBayless: “You’re talking to wheelchair Paul here!”@paulpierce34: “I’m bringing it to set one day” pic.twitter.com/lxg6kpm5B3
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 17, 2024
The 51-year-old argued that players can easily walk even after injuring their hamstring. When the NBA veteran tried to correct him, Johnson said that basketball players are “a little different” than football players and that a “hangnail” can take them out for a week.
To rub salt in the wound, Bayless reminded Johnson, “You’re talking to wheelchair Paul here.” The infamous wheelchair incident is a moment in NBA history that has given birth to many fan theories on what exactly happened that day. After having all the fun at Pierce’s expense, Johnson agreed that there might indeed be something wrong with Zion’s hamstring injury.
Zion Williamson injured his hamstring
The 2024 postseason was off to a flying start until the Zion injury. The Pelicans’ star was having a brilliant game against the Lakers, and they were going neck to neck in each quarter. After playing for 36 minutes, Zion had a 40-point double-double as the score was tied at 95 each.
However, with a little over three minutes left on the clock, he made his way to the bench and after some time proceeded into the locker room. The Pelicans ended up losing the game 106-110 and fans were left wondering why Zion had to walk off at such an important time. Initially, it was said to be a left leg soreness, but it was later revealed that the 23-year-old has hamstring issues.
The Pels’ worries are only going to increase now, as it seems Williamson will be out from their next game against the Kings for the eighth seed, per the latest update by ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
