The New Orleans Pelicans announced Wednesday that star forward Zion Williamson will be continuing his rehab away from the team in Portland, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez.
Despite being away from the team, Williamson will still be under the Pelicans' medical staffs' supervision. The superstar forward has yet to play this season after suffering a fracture in his right foot that required surgery over the summer.
Here's a tidbit from what the Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin had to say about the situation in a press release.
“Since we notified everyone on December 16 of his latest imaging, it was decided then by our medical team to dial his rehab back to only partial weight-bearing activities,” Griffin said. “He continues along that path. We also agreed that in order to put Zion in the best position to succeed, he will rehab away from the team at this time so he can focus on the task at hand."
What Griffin's statement means, who knows. Sounds like being around the team and living in the city may be a distraction to Zion's progress. In a statement issued by the Pelicans, Williamson made his first comments about the injury since the team announced it in late September.
"As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult process for me," Williamson said. "I know there's work to be done in my recovery before I can safely return to the court, but I will continue to put in the time necessary so I can get back on the floor with my team and represent Pelicans fans and the city of New Orleans at the highest level.
"Basketball means everything to me, and I am thankful for the Pelicans organization and everyone who has surrounded me with love and support throughout this journey -- my family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans, and everybody who has stood behind me and uplifted me when I needed it most."
The Pelicans are 13-25 this season and are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. There's an expectation that there will be another update on Williamson's status in the coming weeks.
Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
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