In 26 straight games, Zion Williamson has started for the first time in his career. You read that correctly.
In a 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, Williamson—who is currently in his seventh NBA season—made his 26th consecutive start. Additionally, he took full advantage of the milestone. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and former Duke star led the Pelicans with a team-high 26 points during the win.
It may not be a complete surprise that this start streak is at a career high. Injury problems have dogged Williamson’s career since before he joined the league.
Williamson was sidelined for many weeks as a freshman at Duke after his sneaker tore during a game versus rival North Carolina, resulting in a Grade 1 knee sprain. His NBA debut was postponed for three months after he tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason, shortly after being selected by the Pelicans.
In his 24 games as a rookie in 2019–20, he started every one of them. In his second season, he made 61 appearances.
Williamson suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot prior to the 2021–2022 season, which necessitated surgery and ultimately kept him out of action for the whole season. He played in just 29 games during his third season (fourth year in the league), which was the second fewest of his career, only surpassed by his rookie campaign.
