“’Ready To Die’ Helped Shift My Mindset”: Zion Williamson Reveals How Notorious B.I.G Motivated him During his Setback

Advait Jajodia | 19/10/2022
“’Ready To Die’ Helped Shift My Mindset”: Zion Williamson Reveals How Notorious B.I.G Motivated him During his Setback

Zion Williamson was out for the entire 2021-2022 campaign, and during this setback, a Notorious B.I.G album was a source of motivation for the youngster.

Despite being one of the most dominant players in the league, Zion Williamson has been very unlucky with lingering injuries throughout his young career. First, Zanos missed out on 48 games of his rookie season.

The next campaign, despite averaging a staggering 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, the All-Star was forced to sit out for 11 games, majorly towards the end of the year.

This past campaign was pretty successful for the New Orleans Pelicans. After finishing 9th in the West with a 36-46 record, Willie Green’s boys fought their way into the playoffs for the first time in 4 years after defeating the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament.

However, due to a foot injury, the New Orleans Pelicans prodigy was unavailable for the entire 2021-2022 campaign.

Also Read: Charles Barkley is Betting on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans

During these testing times, one tends to find motivation in the most unlikely place. For the 6-foot-6 forward, a Notorious B.I.G album helped motivate him during this unfortunate setback.

“From that album you just learn”: Zion Williamson

During the 2022 Media Day, several Pelicans players were asked to reveal the type of music they listened to. While many youngsters mentioned newer rappers such as Drake, Future, Gunna, and Meek Mill, a 22-year-old Zion selected Notorious B.I.G.

Shocking everyone with his old school selection, the 1-time All-Star further detailed how B.I.G’s “Ready to Die” album was a source of motivation for him. Talking about the 1994 album in correlation to his mindset, the former Duke Blue Devil said:

“That album, lyrically, how he talked about stress, what he was dealing with feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders…Feeling like you are standing alone. That album helped shift my mindset to find true resolve within the game. I’m 22 and have been through a lot in the past year and some change. There are some things you wish didn’t happen. From that album you just learn, that’s life. Things are going to happen. You just have to roll with them.”

Zion ready to dominate in the 2022-2023 season

The southpaw had averaged a solid 11.25 points, 3.25 rebounds, and 2.75 assists on 50% shooting from the field in just 15 minutes, in the 4 preseason games he played. Despite sitting out in the Pels’ final preseason clash vs the Hawks, Zion recently disclosed how excited he was to suit up for the opener against the Brooklyn Nets.

With no injuries bothering him yet, after 532 days, Zion is going to be playing regular season basketball… and we are in for an absolute treat!

Also Read: NBA Twitter Reacts as the Pelicans Star Assures He Will Play in his First Opening Night Ever

Post Edited By: Adit Pujari
NBA New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson

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Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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