The New Orleans Pelicans' no. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson will miss the start of the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season due to a knee injury.
The New Orleans Pelicans released a statement confirming the knee injury saying that the 19-year-old rookie Zion Williamson tore his right lateral meniscus and had undergone a "successful" arthroscopic surgery. However, this will force Williamson to miss six to eight weeks of the regular season.
It is believed that Williamson got the injury during a preseason game between the Pelicans and the Spurs on October 13 as he was held out from playing the team's preseason finale against the New York Knicks.
During his one season with Duke, Williamson averaged 22.6 points and nine rebounds in 33 games, earning the Associated Press men's college basketball player of the year last season. He previously suffered a knee sprain after his shoe split in half while planting his foot during a game between Duke and North Carolina.
The 6-foot-7 forward is being regarded as the new face of the franchise for the New Orleans team after he was drafted first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. This was also after franchise player Anthony Davis was traded away to the Los Angeles Lakers to team up with Lebron James.
During the preseason, Williamson displayed his athleticism and skills, showcasing magnificent dunks and blocks, as well as his passing ability. He averaged 23.3 points during these games.
The 2019-20 NBA season will open on October 22 as the New Orleans Pelicans head north to face the defending champions, the Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, another highly anticipated opening match is the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clipper at the Staples Center in California. The two teams are sporting new duos, the Lakers with Lebron James and Anthony Davis and the Clippers with their newly acquired reigning finals most valuable player (MVP) Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
