Editorial

Zion Williamson Will Pay The Salaries Of Employees At The Smoothie King Center, Giannis Antetokounmpo Donates $100,000 To Fiserv Forum Workers

(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
Font Size:

Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo are opening up their wallets to help those who work at their stadiums.

The New Orleans Pelicans rookie announced on his Instagram that he is going “to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

The move comes after the NBA suspended the season because of the coronavirus. You can read his whole post below.

 

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

The Milwaukee Bucks star also tweeted that he’d pledge $100,000 to help the employees of the Fiserv Forum. The dollar amount that he’s donating is the same as Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love.

While the coronavirus has decimated the world of sports, it’s great to see stories like these. Obviously, none of these guys have to do this.

Nobody would blink if they just took their money and went home. After all, they’re also just employees who can’t control the situation.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on

That’s why we should be really applauding them when they go above and beyond to help the people around them.

While the coronavirus might be the worst thing to ever happen to sports, it’s great to see NBA players with the resources stepping up.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Giannis Antetokounmpo (@giannis_an34) on

Props to Giannis and Zion. They’re both setting a great example.