The New Orleans Pelicans went through the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season without the services of Zion Williamson. While things ended up working out pretty well for the team this year — they made the play-in tournament, got the 8-seed, and put together a really impressive group of players who gave the Phoenix Suns headaches in the first round — not having Williamson as he recovered from offseason foot surgery was a major disappointment.
Every time it sounded like progress was being made towards Williamson making his season debut, something popped up that kept him on the sidelines. And eventually, time ran out, and by the time the Pelicans’ year came to an end, the closest we came to seeing Williamson play was a few clips he tossed onto social media.
On Thursday, the team made the announcement that everyone’s been waiting to hear: Williamson has gotten the all-clear to play basketball again.
“The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that recent imaging of Zion Williamson’s right fifth metatarsal showed continued improvement,” the team said in a statement. “Williamson has been cleared in his return to play progression without any restrictions.”
The big question surrounding Williamson now is whether or not he will sign an extension with the team, something he indicated he will do during his end of season press availability.