Zion Williamson Offers to Cover Stadium Worker Salaries With Games Suspended Due to Coronavirus Crisis

Zion Williamson hasn’t been in New Orleans very long, and yet, he is already making a positive impact on the community. Today, the Pelicans star revealed while the league is dealing with the coronavirus crisis that he will pay the salaries of Smoothie King Center workers for the next 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,” Williamson said in a post on Instagram.

He continued, “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.”

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 Mar 13, 2020 at 2:24pm PDT

Although the Jordan Brand-backed baller is the latest to announce he will financially help stadium employees, he’s not the only person involved with the league to reveal intent to support employees since the NBA suspended the season two days ago.

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, stated after his team faced the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday that he will find a way to pay the hourly employees of the American Airlines Center as if the games were happening, a statement he doubled-down on in an interview on Fox News today.

Since then, several players including Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Blake Griffin of the Detroit Pistons have all pledged $100,000 to help staff at the respective arenas they play in.

Aside from players, the ownership of several teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and others have followed suit.

Want more?

Patagonia Just Made a Bold Move to Help Fight Coronavirus & Every Retailer Should Pay Attention

As Italy’s Coronavirus Cases Continue to Rise Dramatically, Here’s How the Fashion Industry Is Taking Action

How Sarah Jessica Parker, Donna Karan, Serena Williams + More Are Reacting to the Coronavirus