New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson has left the NBA’s “bubble” at Walt Disney World to attend to an “urgent family medical matter,” the team announced.
“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” Pelicans executive David Griffin said in a statement. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”
The Pelicans are scheduled to play against the Utah Jazz in the first game of the NBA’s restart on July 30. It’s now in question whether he will make it back to the league’s temporary campus at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to play that game.
According to the league’s COVID-19 testing protocols, Williamson could be forced to quarantine for at least seven days upon returning to the bubble. However, if he gets tested for the virus daily while he’s away, and his tests come back negative, the quarantine period upon returning would be two to four days long.
The 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick had a belated start to his highly anticipated NBA career because of a meniscus injury that required surgery. He made his Pelicans debut on Jan. 22, less than two months before the pandemic forced the NBA and other sports leagues to shut down.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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