Sophia Michaels
There are serious concerns right now about how workers will be able to make a living, as people begin taking social distancing more and more seriously to slow the spread of COVID-19. In the world of basketball, that’s particularly true for the many stadium workers whose lives and paychecks came to a screeching halt as the NBA opted to suspend games for at least the next month.
A number of players and owners have announced plans to help cover these workers, and on Friday afternoon, Zion Williamson decided to join in and lend a hand. In a post on his Instagram account, Williamson, citing his appreciation for the people of New Orleans, announced that he will cover the salaries for workers at Smoothie King Center for the next 30 days.
Here’s what Williamson wrote in his post:
The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center. These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus. My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis. This is an incredibly resilient city full of some of the most resilient people, but sometimes providing a little extra assistance can make things a little easier for the community.
There is a very obvious point to be raised about how the responsibility to do this sort of thing should fall on those who own the team and not a teenager whose salary is exponentially lower than said owner’s net worth. Later on Friday, the Pelicans tweeted that their team owners were in the process of figuring out how they could assist those employees as well, but there has been no official announcement as of yet.
Statement from the New Orleans Pelicans: pic.twitter.com/BIE9IdGX97
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 13, 2020
Regardless, this is quite the gesture from Williamson, and it says a lot about him and the bond he’s built up with the city of New Orleans in such a short time.
Written by: Uproxx
