After being one of the most hyped up draft prospects of all time back in 2019, New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has, by and large, delivered on the excitement he entered the NBA with. Williamson was especially dominant during the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on 61% shooting from the field.

However, foot problems kept Williamson out for the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign. As if that wasn't unforgiving enough, Zion became the butt of many jokes after he appeared to gain considerable weight, which many then connected to the injuries he was dealing with on his foot.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Zion Williamson opened up on the considerable emotional baggage he dealt with during the entire ordeal, which was made worse by the fact that he couldn't play on the court to tune out all the noise and prove his naysayers wrong.

“I was in dark places at time because I couldn’t play basketball,” Williamson revealed. “I could only do limited rehab things. And then just seeing how the world reacted? It took a lot. It did a lot on my spirit.”

Despite all the insults hurled Williamson's way, many still anticipated his possible return on the court last season. There was excitement that he could appear in a potential cameo in the Pelicans' first-round battle against the Phoenix Suns, but that never materialized.

Perhaps more than a year's worth of working on his body is what Zion Williamson needs to reach an even higher level. Many have even said that Williamson is in the best shape of his career as of the moment. And to add all of those things to a highly-motivated Zion who's ready to re-establish himself as one of the NBA's biggest stars? That should scare the rest of the league for years to come.

“They’re going to see that I’ve matured off the court and on the court,” Williamson added. “And they’re also gonna see that my game has evolved. I’m gonna show the world things that I’ve had in my arsenal that I didn’t show before.

“I’m not done yet.”

The Pelicans squeaked into the postseason by the skin of their teeth last year, and then proceeded to push the league-best Suns to six games. The addition of Williamson will make the Pelicans an even more frightening team to face.

Zion Williamson will have the spotlight cast on him, but if this interview is any indication, there are no lights too bright for the 22-year old highflyer to overcome.