Zion Williamson returns to NBA bubble after leaving for family emergency, quarantine period unclear

New Orleans Pelicans' rookie sensation Zion Williamson has returned to the NBA bubble, Disney World. This news comes as a great relief to Pelicans fans who have been waiting to see the superstar in action after the four-month hiatus.

Zion is yet to rejoin the team and will now undergo a mandatory quarantine as per the NBA protocol. We are yet to receive official information about the quarantine period.

During his time away from the team, Zion was tested daily for the coronavirus. Each of these tests came back negative and it is expected that the quarantine period will be at least four days, as long as he does not have any positive coronavirus tests during this time.

Story: Zion returns to Orlando -> https://t.co/L9XwUXjByS#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/G35O5vTVbB

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 25, 2020

Zion Williamson put out a statement thanking the media and fans for respecting his family's privacy and for all the love and support he has received saying:

“My family and I appreciate the love, respect that everyone showed us while we dealt with a private family matter. I‘m excited to rejoin my team in Orlando and look forward to getting back on the court with my teammates after quarantine.”

Earlier, Zion Williamson had left the bubble to tend to some urgent family medical emergency. After spending over a week with his family, the superstar is now back in the bubble.

Assuming that Zion Williamson will be required to quarantine for at least four days, he will be cleared just two days before the Pelicans' first game on July 30th against the Utah Jazz. Since the Pels tend to be cautious about his health, it is unclear whether Zion will play the first game.

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is back on the NBA campus, per a source. Team awaiting official word on quarantine status so number of days needed is TBD.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) July 24, 2020

Zion Williamson, who missed the first 44 games of the season, has been phenomenal for the Pelicans in his 19 games since, averaging 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. The New Orleans Pelicans who currently occupy the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings are only 3.5 games away from the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The return of Zion Williamson and an easy schedule will be in favor of the Pelicans who hope to make it to the playoffs.

---

---

New Orleans Pelicans thrash the Brooklyn Nets without Zion Williamson

Brandon Ingram was impressive for the New Orleans Pelicans in yesterday's scrimmage

The New Orleans Pelicans had their first scrimmage on Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets, where they had a resounding 99-68 victory. E’Twaun Moore was instrumental in the Pelicans gaining an early lead in the first half. He ended up being the team's leading scorer with 14 points.

That's our All-Star 🔥B.I. is tied with E'Twaun for a game-high 12 points each as we head into the half! pic.twitter.com/61CCbon590

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 22, 2020

The Pelicans were solid from beyond the arc with Brandon Ingram shooting several three-pointers in the first half. This victory was expected from the Pelicans who were up against a depleted Brooklyn Nets squad. However, the margin of victory despite not having Zion Williamson on the court is a promising sign for the Pels.

---