NEW ORLEANS — Surrounded by campers, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson signed his multi-year contract extension at the Dryades YMCA on his 22nd birthday.
"It's gonna be hard to top this birthday," Williamson said during a press conference on Wednesday. "I'm excited to get on the court."
Williamson's extension is five years with no player option, according to team President David Griffin.
Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that Williamson's contract was a maximum extension that could pay up to $231 million.
Griffin emphasized his excitement about Williamson signing his extension.
“Zion is an astounding 22-year-old talent, who we believe is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of, both on and off the floor,” Griffin said. “We are extremely pleased to take this next step of our collective journey together.”
Williamson, a basketball phenom since his high school days, has played at an all-star level on the court, averaging 25.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in his NBA career thus far.
However, Williamson has struggled with injuries during his NBA career, only playing 85 games since being drafted in 2019. He missed the entirety of the 2021-2022 season with a broken foot.
While rumors swirled around regarding a possible departure or trade request, Williamson signaled his commitment to the franchise by signing an extension.
During the press conference, Williamson reiterated his desire to be a part of the Pelicans roster going forward and said rumors of him wanting to leave were false. Joining Williamson and Griffin at the conference were GM Trajan Langdon and head coach Willie Green.
"I want to thank my family, the YMCA, the city of New Orleans, I want to thank the three people up here with me, I want to thank Gayle Benson," Williamson said. "Thank you all for believing in me, and giving a kid like me a chance to showcase my abilities and hopefully bring the team multiple championships."
Green, who brought the Pelicans to the first round of the playoffs during the 2021-2022 NBA season, is excited to get to coach Zion on the court for the first time.
"He has a bright future. We're all excited to have Zion and add what he does to our program. I look forward to getting an opportunity to finally coach him. There's a lot of hard work still in front of us" Green said.
Langdon spoke his thoughts on having Zion back on the active roster.
"Getting him back on the court is not only really fun, but it's dangerous for other teams," Langdon said.
Williamson is excited to get his max contract but believes he also has something to prove in the upcoming NBA season.
"I'm not going to let the city down. I'm not going to let my family down. And most of all, I'm not going to let myself down," Williamson said.