“Zion Williamson spent $300,000 saving thousands of families”: When Pelicans star used his first paycheck to help Smoothie King Center employees during COVID-19 outbreak

Nithin Joseph | 11/06/2022
"Zion Williamson spent $300,000 saving thousands of families": When Pelicans star used his first paycheck to help Smoothie King Center employees during COVID-19 outbreak

Most NBA superstars go crazy when they get their first paychecks. However, Zion Williamson spent $300,000 of his on others!

In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans made the decision to draft the hottest prospect since LeBron James. For many analysts and fans, Zion Williamson was and is destined to be the next big thing.

Hailing from North Carolina, Zion attended Duke University. At Duke, he was an absolute monster and worked hard towards becoming the consensus no.1 pick in the draft.

Averaging 23 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game, he entered the conversation of being one of the greatest NCAA players of all time.

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Zion sure was a great college player, but he is an even better human being. As seen with what he did with his first paycheck as soon as he was drafted into the NBA.

Zion Williamson gave $300,000 of his first paycheck to Smoothie King Center employees following the COVID-19 outbreak

The New Orleans Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson in 2019 but unfortunately did not get to see him in action in his first season. However, the city did get to see him play the following season.

Sadly, this also ended badly, as the world faced a global pandemic. As such, many employees, including those of the Smoothie King Center who lived on a day-to-day business lost their salaries.

However, in an act of great kindness, Zion decided to pay 30 days of their salary. The total amounted to $300,000 and showcased Williamson’s generosity!

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He may not be playing many games, but Zion is definitely making a huge impact in the community. Hopefully, he continues to do so in the years to come in New Orleans.

Post Edited By: Raahib Singh
NBA New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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