Zion Williamson Seeking 'Vengeance,' Says NBA Cup Loss vs. Lakers Changed His Career

Zion Williamson has set high expectations for himself going into the 2024-25 season after a hamstring injury suffered in the New Orleans Pelicans' play-in tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers spoiled what had been the best game of his career up to that point.

Speaking to The Athletic's William Guillory, Williamson said he's "out for straight vengeance" this season to prove he can be one of the best players in the NBA.

While the play-in tournament was the final time Williamson played last season, he cited the Pelicans' 133-89 loss to the Lakers in the NBA Cup semifinals in December as one of the "key turning points" in his career:

"I'm watching (LeBron James) out here on the court, doing what he's doing. I'm telling myself I want to be a player that has a high level of greatness—one of the greats. In that big moment, I didn't show up," he said. "It hit me while the game was going on. I just looked up and said, 'I didn't show up.' I don't have any excuse."

That loss prompted Williamson to take a hard look at what he was doing that prevented him from being a dominant force on the court.

"When rumors are floating around and all that, after a while, it does take its toll a little bit," Williamson said. … "It was time for me to figure out a different way."

The NBA Cup semifinal game saw Williamson score just 13 points, including four in the second half when the Pelicans were outscored 66-35.

That performance led to significant criticism about Williamson's game, with Charles Barkley saying on Inside the NBA that he was "not even close" to being the best player on the Pelicans even though he had more than enough talent to be the top star.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green didn't single out Williamson's play but said there was "just a lack of competitive spirit from our group" in the game.

Williamson agreed with that assessment, telling reporters during his postgame press conference he needs "to be more aggressive" getting his shot and be better defensively.

The game did seem to spark something in Williamson. He reportedly lost at least 25 pounds between that loss and mid-March when the Pelicans were fighting for a playoff spot.

When the Lakers and Pelicans met in the play-in tournament, Williamson was the most dominant player in a game featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He had 40 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes before a hamstring injury took him out with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Pelicans would earn the No. 8 seed by defeating the Sacramento Kings in the second game of the play-in tournament, but Williamson was unable to play. He also missed all four games of their first-round series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite the disappointing finish, the 49 wins for New Orleans last season were the team's most since drafting Williamson No. 1 overall in 2019. He appeared in a career-high 70 games during the 2023-24 campaign.

If the Pelicans can get another season with at least 70 games from a Williamson who seems more determined than ever to prove he is capable of being the go-to option, they could challenge for a playoff spot without having to go through the play-in tournament.