Amid his extremely physical playstyle, New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson isn't getting as many foul calls as he would wish. Rather than express frustration, Williamson believes that he should earn the respect of the referees.

Per Will Guillory of The Athletic, Williamson shared his thoughts on getting more favorable calls from the officials. Williamson is aware that he hasn't been in the NBA that long. As such, he has to work for those foul calls.

“I've got to earn my respect. I'm only in Year 2. I've got to get a couple more years under my belt and hopefully things change with that.”

Statistics reveal that Williamson ranks third in free-throw attempts per game with 8.6. At the top is two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (9.9) followed by Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (8.8). So it's a bit confusing why Williamson would want more fouls. But if you watch a Pelicans game from start to finish, you'll see just how often he gets battered on the regular.

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Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy, however, may have the answer. After all, the game looks different from coaches like him. They see things at a microscopic level. And from what he's seeing, Williamson's brute strength has worked against him in terms of getting those foul calls.

“I think strength gets punished in this league a lot more than quickness. If you're able to go thru contact a little bit, it's called differently. If you fall down every time you're hit or you flop, you get calls. That's just the way it is.”

Williamson's comments certainly reveal a lot about his character. He knows he's already a star in this league, but he's still out to find ways to get even better.