I know it all happened a few weeks ago, but it still makes my Irish blood boil. What is happening in the modern-day NBA?
Take New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson for instance, or maybe put a target on his back from this sports writer.
The massive Williamson is listed at 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds. And despite his heavy weight for a basketball player, he is known for his speed and leaping ability (46 inches from a standing position).
How can the muscular Williamson, who appeared to be a Duke star headed for NBA superstardom, go out and slam dunk -- something he is known for -- before an NBA play-in game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. New Orleans lost the game, 123-118 to OKC, abruptly ending the Pelicans' season.
This was a loss at home, as a favorite, to a team the Pelicans had beaten three out of four games. It would be understandable if the Pelicans lost to a seasoned, winning team.
Oh, by the way, Zion (he likes to be known by one name) did NOT play. Repeat, did not play. After all the dazzling pre-game dunks, it was time for the fourth-year player to watch his teammates from the bench.
The 22-year-old Zion said at the time he was "feeling fine physically" but would not return to the court until "I feel like Zion," acknowledging the mental hurdle of rejoining the team.
"Physically I'm fine, now it's just a matter of when I feel like Zion. I know the atmosphere I'd be entering based off like the playoff experience. So now it's just a matter of when I feel like Zion.
"I don't feel like there are any specific benchmarks for being Zion," he added. "It's just a matter of like, you know, when I feel like myself. Just feeling like myself and knowing that I can go out there and have a big impact for my team."
Feel like Zion? Does that mean he'll play when he gets good and ready, or will he continue to collect his multi-million dollar salary for dunking and then watching the game.
Even the New Orleans' fans were voicing their opposition to Zion's commitment, or lack thereof, to the Pelicans' franchise. Several radio stations were flooded with angry fans calling for Zion's head because he was leaving his teammates to face the music without him.
Zion, who has been out since Jan. 2 while recovering from a right hamstring strain, spoke to reporters ahead of the Pelicans' play-in matchup with the Thunder, the NBA second-youngest team that finished the regular season two games under .500 (40-42).
Zion did not play at all last season because of a broken right foot and was in the same position this past April as the Pelicans made it through the play-in tournament and earned the No. 8 seed. This season, the Pelicans would have had to win two games in the play-in tournament in order to secure a first-round matchup against the No. 1-seeded Denver Nuggets.
The power forward played 24 games in 2019-20 and 61 games in 2020-21. He's missed nearly 40 percent of the Pelicans' game the past four seasons.
He's in the final year of the record $20.2 million rookie contract he signed four years ago. Zion is set to begin a supermax contract extension worth $193 million starting next season.
The Pelican called it a "collective decision" between himself and the team about when he's able to make his return.
Williamson played in 29 games this season, missing the final 45 games because of the hamstring injury. He averaged 26 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 60.8% from the field. He was named an All-Star starter, although the injury kept him out of the game.
He has been engaged on the sidelines watching his team get bounced out of the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
"I love this game. I say it over and over. For those people that think that I just want to sit on the sideline just to sit over there, I don't know why people think that, but nah, it sucks," Zion said. "I want to be playing basketball for real."
Could have fooled me.