Zion Williamson's 'detached' Behavior From Pelicans Ripped By ...

Skip to main contentCome Fan with UsMonday, February 16, 2026SBNation.com homepageSB NationSB Nation logoNotificationsNotifications

• The Feed
• Breakaway
• Betting
  • FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
  • FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Betting Picks and Predictions
• NFL
  • Today's NFL Trivia
  • All NFL
  • Fantasy Football
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New England Patriots
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Washington Commanders
• NBA
  • All NBA
  • WNBA
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
• MLB
  • Today's MLB Trivia
  • All MLB
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Atlanta Braves
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Houston Astros
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • Minnesota Twins
  • New York Mets
  • New York Yankees
  • Oakland Athletics
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • San Diego Padres
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Seattle Mariners
  • St. Louis Cardinals
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers
  • Toronto Blue Jays
  • Washington Nationals
• CFB
  • All CFB
  • View team list
• CBB
  • Men’s CBB
  • Men’s Bracketology
  • Women’s CBB
  • View team list
• WNBA
  • All WNBA
  • Swish Appeal
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • New York Liberty
  • Washington Mystics
• Soccer
  • Football Frenzy
  • All Soccer
  • English Premier League
  • Arsenal
  • Chelsea
  • Everton
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester City
  • Newcastle United
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • Manchester United
  • German Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich
  • Dortmund
  • Italian Serie A
  • AC Milan
  • Inter Milan
  • Juventus
  • AS Roma
  • Fiorentina
  • MLS
  • Spanish La Liga
  • Barcelona
  • Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Villarreal
  • Women’s Soccer
  • NWSL
  • Mexican Soccer
  • U.S. Soccer
  • Fantasy Soccer
  • View team list
• More

Navigation Drawer

• Login / Sign Up

closeCloseSearch

• VideoWatch
• PodcastListen
• In Five GamesPlay

• The Feed
• Breakaway
• BettingExpand
  • FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
  • FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Betting Picks and Predictions
• NFLExpand
  • Today's NFL Trivia
  • All NFL
  • Fantasy Football
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New England Patriots
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Washington Commanders
• NBAExpand
  • All NBA
  • WNBA
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
• MLBExpand
  • Today's MLB Trivia
  • All MLB
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Atlanta Braves
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Houston Astros
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • Minnesota Twins
  • New York Mets
  • New York Yankees
  • Oakland Athletics
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • San Diego Padres
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Seattle Mariners
  • St. Louis Cardinals
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers
  • Toronto Blue Jays
  • Washington Nationals
• CFBExpand
  • All CFB
  • View team list
• CBBExpand
  • Men’s CBB
  • Men’s Bracketology
  • Women’s CBB
  • View team list
• WNBAExpand
  • All WNBA
  • Swish Appeal
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • New York Liberty
  • Washington Mystics
• SoccerExpand
  • Football Frenzy
  • All Soccer
  • English Premier League
  • Arsenal
  • Chelsea
  • Everton
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester City
  • Newcastle United
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • Manchester United
  • German Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich
  • Dortmund
  • Italian Serie A
  • AC Milan
  • Inter Milan
  • Juventus
  • AS Roma
  • Fiorentina
  • MLS
  • Spanish La Liga
  • Barcelona
  • Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Villarreal
  • Women’s Soccer
  • NWSL
  • Mexican Soccer
  • U.S. Soccer
  • Fantasy Soccer
  • View team list
• UFCExpand
  • MMA Fighting
  • MMA Fight Schedule
  • MMA Mania
• NHLExpand
  • All NHL
  • Boston Bruins
  • Carolina Hurricanes
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • New Jersey Devils
  • New York Islanders
  • Pittsburgh Penguins
• Golf
• F1
• Wrestling
• Boxing
• Secret Base Video
• Podcasts
• Newsletters
• Features
• Communities
• Product Updates & Ideas

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Instagram
• Youtube
• RSS
• TikTok

SB NationSB Nation logoZion Williamson’s ‘detached’ behavior from Pelicans ripped by former teammate JJ RedickNotificationsNotifications

• NBA

Zion Williamson’s ‘detached’ behavior from Pelicans ripped by former teammate JJ Redick

The situation with Zion Williamson and the Pelicans keeps getting weirder.

by Ricky O'DonnellFeb 22, 2022, 7:07 PM UTC

• Facebook
• Link

Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.

Zion Williamson has not played a game this season for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans opened the season during media day by announcing Williamson had surgery to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal on his right foot during the offseason. At the time, New Orleans boss David Griffin was intentionally vague about when the former No. 1 overall pick would return, telling reporters the “timeline should get him back on the court in time for the regular season.”

Williamson was supposed to be practicing with the team by Dec. but that still hasn’t happened. As the league headed to the All-Star break, there was a report that Williamson may need a second surgery on his foot.

New Orleans started 1-12 without Williamson, but they are 22-24 since to put themselves in position to make the play-in tournament in the Western Conference. The Pelicans added another big piece at the trade deadline by flipping a future first round pick for CJ McCollum, but as it happened ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported the team is not expecting Williamson back anytime soon.

While Williamson has been rehabbing his injury, there have been reports that he’s been detached from the team. McCollum was interviewed on TNT during All-Star Weekend and said he still had not spoken to Williamson. Former Pelicans teammate J.J. Redick, now of ESPN, used McCollum’s comments as a jumping off point to rip Williamson’s behavior all season.

You can listen to the full 9-minute segment here:

“This just shows a complete lack of investment in your team, in your organization, in your city,” Redick said on ESPN. “You just traded for one of the 50 best players in the league. A guy who is supposed to be paired with you. Reach out and say hello. This is a pattern of behavior we’re seeing with Zion.”

Redick described Williamson as a detached teammate when they were together on the Pelicans during the 2019-2020 season. Then he kept going in.

“This is something I addressed with Zion in front of the team. This is going back to his rookie year.”

....

“There’s a responsibility that you have as an athlete when you play a team sport to be fully invested. You’re fully invested in your body, you’re fully invested in your work, and you’re fully invested in your teammates That is your responsibility. And we have not seen that from Zion.”

Here’s McCollum’s original comments:

Update: McCollum says he and Zion have now spoken.

Redick also noted that the Pelicans didn’t include Williamson in promotional material for next year’s season ticket packages:

It was startling to see Redick rip into Williamson for several reasons. They’re former teammates, both went to Duke, and share the same agency with CAA. As Redick and Stephen A. Smith continued their discussion about Williamson, both noted the rumors that Williamson doesn’t want to be in New Orleans long-term.

While Williamson hasn’t demanded a trade from the Pelicans, there have been several reports that he has a wandering eye. He was reportedly bummed the New York Knicks didn’t land the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft on the night of the lottery. His face lights up whenever he’s asked about Madison Square Garden. There have been rumors that his ‘camp’ is unhappy with the direction of the team.

As Williamson has been away from the team, his weight has ballooned reportedly up to 330 pounds.

Related

• Zion Williamson’s weight isn’t cause for concern yet

The Pelicans certainly started slow, but ever since this has been a really fun team even without Williamson. Brandon Ingram keeps getting better as a primary scoring option. Jonas Valanciunas is having another excellent offensive season with improved three-point shooting. McCollum gives the backcourt extra juice off the dribble and as a shot-maker. Herb Jones looks like arguably the steal of the 2021 NBA Draft as an instant impact defender. The vibes could be really good in New Orleans right now, but Williamson’s injury, detached behavior, and the persistent rumors about his future keep dominating headlines.

Where’s smoke, there’s usually fire in the NBA. It’s certainly possible that Williamson would prefer to be in another market. Unfortunately, he’s unlikely to become an unrestricted free agent any time soon.

Next season will be the last year of his rookie deal, which means he’s extension eligible. If he doesn’t agree to an extension with New Orleans, he would become a restricted free agent, which means the Pelicans have the right to match any contract he signs. His only way to becoming an unrestricted free agent is by playing on the fifth-year qualifying offer, which almost never happens.

Is Zion trying to force his way out of New Orleans with the way he’s acting? It’s incredibly speculative to suggest so, but it won’t stop everyone in the NBA from talking about it.

See More:

• NBA

SB Nation Daily Roundup

A daily roundup of all your sports news

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

More in NBA

Feb 13Only WNBA players can save NBA All-Star WeekendFeb 13Meet 2026 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game roster, with Shams Charania, Jeremy Lin, and moreFeb 12NBA All-Star team 2026: Meet full USA vs. The World rostersFeb 12NBA mock draft 2026: Lottery sim delivers 2 shocking winners, punishes tankersFeb 10Hornets-Pistons had an all-time NBA fight, and the consequences will be long lastingFeb 10The NBA’s 10-team tanking spectacular will produce disgusting basketballWNBAFeb 13WNBAFeb 13Only WNBA players can save NBA All-Star Weekend

The Steph vs Sabrina 3-point contest drove engagement but hasn’t been repeated since.

By Chelsea LeiteNBAFeb 13NBAFeb 13Meet 2026 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game roster, with Shams Charania, Jeremy Lin, and more

Get to know the roster for NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBAFeb 12NBAFeb 12NBA All-Star team 2026: Meet full USA vs. The World rosters

The USA vs. The World rosters have been finalized for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBAFeb 12NBAFeb 12NBA mock draft 2026: Lottery sim delivers 2 shocking winners, punishes tankers

Here’s our latest 2026 NBA mock draft, with surprising results after we simmed the lottery order.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBAFeb 10NBAFeb 10Hornets-Pistons had an all-time NBA fight, and the consequences will be long lasting

The Hornets-Pistons fight is one of NBA’s wildest brawls ever

By Ricky O'DonnellNBAFeb 10NBAFeb 10The NBA’s 10-team tanking spectacular will produce disgusting basketball

The last great American tank-off is here, and there’s going to be a lot of bad basketball.

By Ricky O'DonnellAdvertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

The Latest

An hour agoCollin Morikawa wins first Signature Event of 2026 in AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AmFeb 15Scottie Scheffler did something he never had Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Peach Pro-AmFeb 15Anthony Kim wins LIV Golf Adelaide in incredible momentFeb 14Olympics medal count: Team USA tracker for every gold, silver, and bronzeFeb 14Brazilian skier makes history at 2026 Winter OlympicsFeb 13Ilia Malinin suffers Winter Olympics disaster that leaves him off the podiumCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...