Former Pelicans teammate JJ Redick rips Zion Williamson for being 'detached'

New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williamson has missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season, to date, as he continues to rehab from offseason surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot. Some questioned Williamson's dedication to returning to action as soon as possible late last fall, months before it was recently learned he could require a second surgery on the foot that presumably would sideline him through the remainder of the campaign. 

The Pelicans acquired Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum before this month's trade deadline, and McCollum made headlines over the weekend when he said he hasn't yet spoken to Williamson. Former NBA guard and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick, who spent time as Williamson's teammate across the previous two seasons, heavily criticized the 21-year-old during Tuesday's edition of ESPN's "First Take."

"There's a responsibility that you have as an athlete when you play a team sport to be fully invested," Redick explained during comments about Williamson, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. "You're fully invested in your body, you're fully invested in your work and you're fully invested in your teammates. That is your responsibility, and we have not seen that from Zion.

"This is something I addressed with Zion in front of the team. This is going back to his rookie year." 

Like Williamson, Redick played his college basketball with the Duke Blue Devils. 

"This just shows a complete lack of investment in your team, in the organization, in the city," Redick added about Williamson not reaching out to McCollum. "I get that he's hurt and away from the team, but you just traded for one of the 50 best players in the league — a guy that's supposed to be paired with you. Reach out and say, 'Hello.' This is a pattern of behavior with Zion that we are seeing again and again. I was his teammate, I can describe him as a detached teammate, that is an accurate statement."

Redick also said that Williamson's "pattern of behavior" is "worrisome" as it pertains to the big man's investment in wanting to help the Pelicans win games and improve.