Zion Williamson pledges to cover salaries of Pelicans arena workers

The No. 1 overall pick is the latest player to offer assistance to those that may be affected by the loss of NBA games.

No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson announced on Instagram that he will cover the salaries for those that work at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans for the next 30 days.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday evening that the suspension of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic will last at least 30 days, leaving many workers displaced of work for the foreseeable future.

Once news of the initial suspension surfaced, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was among the first to state his intentions to put a plan in place to financially assist those that may be affected by the loss of games at American Airlines Center.

Several organizations and players — like the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Love — have since volunteered to help those individuals in their markets with Williamson becoming the latest to do so.

View this post on Instagram

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.

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on

Silver said in his statement that the NBA plans to resume games this season and will do so once it becomes safe to move forward. The league came to the decision in order to safeguard the health and well-being of the fans, players and everyone connected to the game.

The NBA will continue to work with public health officials on the steps to take to move forward as teams and players alike attempt to navigate through this unprecedented time.

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