Zion Williamson pledges to cover 30 days of salaries for Smoothie King Center workers

New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson has announced that he will help Smoothie King Center employees financially while the NBA is suspended due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

Last summer’s top overall pick posted on Instagram his plans to pay arena workers’ salaries for 30 days:

“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.”

Williamson has followed in the footsteps of several other players around the league providing financial assistance for arena workers including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin long with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

In 19 games, the 19-year old Williamson is averaging 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.

The NBA suspended its regular season Wednesday night after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the first players in the league to test positive for COVID-19.