Kyrie Irving Makes Honest Zion Williamson Statement After Mavs-Pelicans Game

On Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans by a score of 137-136.
Kyrie Irving finished the win with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists and one steal while shooting 10/21 from the field and 3/9 from the three-point range in 39 minutes of playing time.
After the game, Irving was asked about Zion Williamson.
Irving (h/t Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints): "He's been through a lot in his personal life and just with injuries. He came into the league with so much hype and I think he lived up to the majority of it... I just pray for him to be healthy and to stay focused on the craft... Outside of the personal stuff and the injuries, I feel like he's been a true professional and he's battled through a lot. When he's out there healthy, he's a heck of a player to go against."
I asked Kyrie Irving about Zion Williamson following tonight’s game. After taking a moment to think about the question, Irving provided an insightful response while speaking about the Pelicans star.
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) January 30, 2025
“When he’s out there healthy, he’s a heck of a player to go against.”#MFFL pic.twitter.com/2C6SJkDtNX
Williamson finished the loss with 29 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two blocks while shooting 11/18 from the field in 28 minutes of playing time.
Zion’s strength is INSANE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/D4Pp9j599k
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) January 30, 2025
The two-time NBA All-Star is averaging 23.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest while shooting 52.0% from the field.
However, Williamson has appeared in just 13 games this season.
With the loss to Dallas, the Pelicans dropped to 12-36 in 48 games, which has them as the 14th seed in the Western Conference.
They are in the middle of a four-game losing streak (and have gone 5-5 over their last ten).