It takes a lot to slow Zion Williamson down. And he's tired of the officials who punish the defenders as physically punish him.
Williamson's frustration appeared to have been fouled multiple times by the combination of Tali Eason and Stephen Adams, running down the lane during the Pelicans' 109-97 defeat to the Rockets. Williamson got caught up in the floor and the Rockets raced differently for a simple bucket.
“So you didn't see it, did you?” Williamson can hear screaming Towards the referee during a Thursday night game against the Rockets. “I'm tired of that s-t bro.”
The Pelican Star missed 38 games this season, but has been consistently in the lineup since the calendar turned over in 2025. And he plays high-level basketball despite New Orleans' 17-46 record.
He is a player of his size and his game is directed towards low play, so he is expected to be assaulted by his opponents every night, but Williamson expects the beat to turn into a phone.
Williamson has attempted 8.1 free throws per game, ranking fifth in the NBA overall. But he doesn't seem to think that's enough.
Williamson finished 20 points with five-fifths of fire from the field and 12ths from the free throw line. His 12 free throws were game-high, and his 10 makers were more than Rocket combined as a team.
The two-time All-Star has had a major struggle to stay healthy over his six-year career. He played just 24 games in his rookie year, missed the entire third season, and played just 29 games in his fourth season.
Once he finishes playing in all the remaining games this season, he will total 44.
When he was healthy, Williamson was an absolute force of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in his career, with an impressive 58.9% shooting from the field.
