Zion Williamson leaves NBA bubble to address family issues

The New Orleans Pelicans announced that forward Zion Williamson left the NBA bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on Thursday morning and that he intends to join the team at a later date.

“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said in a statement. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”

According to NBA protocols, if Williamson is tested daily while away, the maximum that could be quarantined would be four days and the minimum would be two. However, if the test is not done daily, it would be a minimum of seven days in quarantine.

Williamson played in just 19 games this season for the Pelicans after returning from meniscus surgery in January.

The Pelicans push for a playoff spot beginning July 30 when the team plays the Utah Jazz on the opening night of the league restart.

Williamson practiced with the Pelicans in Orlando last week and told reporters that he had spent free time during the NBA hiatus working with his stepfather, Lee Anderson, when he was not rehabilitating with Pelicans staff.