“Zion Williamson is far more engaged in New Orleans than what y’all see, man!”: Pastor Dale Sanders reveals how the media may have needlessly besmirched Pelicans star

Contrary to popular belief, Zion Williamson is actively involved with the people of New Orleans according to church pastor Dale Sanders.

Zion Williamson attracted media flack for not being visibly engaged in team activities. Former teammate JJ Redick blasted him of ESPN for not welcoming CJ McCollum after the trade. Due to a foot injury he suffered in the offseason, Williamson was rehabbing in Portland. As a result, he couldn’t meet CJ in person but a welcome text would’ve sufficed.

McCollum defended Zion and told the media to “leave the kid alone”. The 2019 #1 draft pick quite literally got bullied into posting about his team on Instagram. It’s public knowledge that he wanted to play for the Knicks. But that has never affected his performance with the Pelicans. Zion was an all-star in just his second season in the NBA and lived up to the hype.

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Zion Williamson stayed back after the service to take pictures with the fans

Zion Williamson is not as active on Instagram as other players from his generation. As a result, there is always a lot of speculation surrounding him. His weight is often a matter of concern for fans and his injury-prone career so far validates it. There are also rumors about Zion’s reluctance to play in New Orleans.

However, Pastor Dale Sanders put the rumors to rest once and for all. He reassured everyone that Williamson is happy to be in New Orleans and is actively engaging with the community.

“I think he’s in great spirits. The crowd wants to let him go, and he didn’t want to let them go,” says Pastor Sanders. “He took a lot of pictures and talked with a lot of people. He didn’t seem to be in any way, shape, or form distant. He’s ready to do what he came here to do, is what it appeared to me.” 

From the pictures that fans shared after the Sunday service, it is evident that Zion wants to be an integral part of the Pelicans organization.

Yessir my boy Zion lookin good, ready to dominate the league again 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/SaUxe6ZIiK

— ZiGoat (@360degreesZW) March 6, 2022

The Pastor emphasized the fact that the media was distorting the picture. In reality, Williamson is in much better shape and looks game ready.

“It sounds different from what’s being portrayed, and he looks a lot different from what’s been portrayed. He looks to be in a lot better shape than they’ve been letting on,” Sanders added.

Shams Charania ruled out his return this season as Pelicans are not title contenders. However, there is a narrow chance that they make it to the playoffs. But the coaching staff is of the opinion that Zion should heal completely for a strong start next season.

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