New Orleans Pelicans react to Zion Williamson rape accusations

SPORTIVO
Article arrow_drop_down

The New Orleans Pelicans are standing by forward Zion Williamson despite serious rape allegations leveled against him by a former girlfriend, as the NBA team maintained that the ongoing legal proceedings will not alter its long-term vision for the player.

The lawsuit, filed last week in a civil court, alleges that Williamson raped the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, on multiple occasions beginning in 2020 by using physical violence to restrain her by pinning her “down on the bed with her hands behind her back”.

Zion Williamson humiliates Dillon Brooks on the court and mic during the game

The filing further claims that on October 10, 2020, during a conversation about her visiting a friend, Zion “picked her up, threw her down to the ground, and pinned her shoulders down so she could not move,” before committing additional acts of violence and rape.

The plaintiff also alleges that Williamson verbally abused her, calling her “stuck up” and a “bitch.” Williamson denies the claims. She is seeking damages ranging from $18 million to $50 million, as reported by ESPN.

Pelicans back Williamson

However, despite the claims, the player will continue to enjoy the backing of his basketball team who have signaled their intent to move forward with the 24-year-old as a cornerstone of the franchise.

Joe Dumars, the Pelicans‘ new executive vice president of basketball operations, emphasized the organization’s support for the overall first round pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, who has spent his entire career with the team.

“I’ve had really good conversations with Zion,” Dumars said to The Times-Picayune. “We’ve had lunch. Dinner. Watched playoff games together. We’ve done it all.

“I’ve had some real, honest conversations with him. Some real direct and honest conversations. We’re going to go forward with Zion. He’s going to continue to be a focal point here as we go forward.”

While he refrained from discussing the legal matter directly, citing advice to avoid commenting on Williamson‘s legal issues, his remarks underscored the team’s long-term vision for him.

Pelicans owner Gayle Benson also addressed the situation briefly, noting the complexity of lawsuits.

“You know, lawsuits are lawsuits,” Benson told The Times-Picayune. “You really can’t … You don’t know.

“I mean people can sue you for anything. There’s no reason you can be innocent or not. It’s just something that people do, unfortunately.”

The Pelicans‘ commitment to Williamson was further demonstrated by their decision to include him in their NBA Draft Lottery representation in May, prior to the lawsuit’s public disclosure after securing the seventh overall pick for the 2025 NBA Draft.

The franchise’s aspirations for a playoff return hinge on Williamson‘s health and performance, both of which have been inconsistent. Now this legal situation adds another thing for the team to contend with in their quest for a first championship in franchise history.

This news was originally published on this post .

About the author

About the author call_made

SPORTIVO

More posts

Textor diz que ninguém quis assumir o Botafogo após saída de Artur Jorge

John Textor em jogo do Botafogo. Foto AlamyDepois de uma temporada histórica em 2024, o Botafogo vive um ano marcado por frustrações. Quem afirmou isso foi o próprio John Textor, que classificou o desempenho como “fracasso” e admitiu ter dificuldade para achar um novo técnico. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEO time carioca não levantou nenhum troféu até o momento e tenta agora ao menos garantir vaga na próxima edição da Libertadores. Em entrevista ao GE, o dono da SAF alvinegra, John Textor, fez uma avaliação sincera sobre o clube.“Começamos o ano muito mal. Tivemos um treinador (Renato Paiva) com um ótimo sistema de jogo, mas acho que ele o abandonou. Estamos em quarto lugar no Brasileirão. Estou feliz? Eu disse que seria um fracasso se não vencêssemos nada, então é um fracasso. É difícil remotivar o elenco”, disse o empresário. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADETextor cita […]

Filho de Romário convive com guerra na Ucrânia e relata rotina com bombardeiros

Romarinho joga num clube na Ucrânia Foto: DivulgaçãoA experiência do jogador foi detalhada em um episódio da série “Futebol na Guerra”, apresentada pelo jornalista Cartolouco em seu canal do YouTube. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEA ida de Romarinho para a zona de conflito, segundo ele, teve o surpreendente aval e incentivo do próprio pai. “Quando surgiu a oportunidade, meu pai se amarrou na ideia, botou muita pilha para eu vir. A iniciativa foi mais dele que minha,” declarou o atacante.Contudo, após presenciar a realidade local, a família do jogador tentou persuadi-lo a retornar. “Aqui acontece muito bombardeio e mostrei isso pra minha família. Aí, quando voltei de férias, pediram para que eu não voltasse mais,” afirmou. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEApesar dos apelos, Romarinho demonstra resiliência. Com mais três meses de contrato com o UCSA, o jogador não manifesta a intenção de deixar o país neste […]

Flick aprova, e Barcelona define sucessor de Lewandowski

Barcelona está se concentrando em joia do Borussia Dortmund para substituir Lewandowski (Foto: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire)O Barcelona certamente precisará fazer ajustes no setor ofensivo durante a próxima janela de transferências de verão. Isso porque o contrato de Robert Lewandowski expira em junho de 2026, e não está descartada sua saída do clube catalão. No entanto, o cenário mais provável no momento é que o jogador polonês permaneça, mas assuma um papel de reserva. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEDe qualquer forma, o clube precisará contratar um novo centroavante de alto nível. Nesse contexto, muitos nomes têm sido mencionados na mídia recentemente, mas a decisão de Hansi Flick já foi tomada. De acordo com informações do portal “El Nacional”, o Barcelona recebeu a recomendação de contratar Serhou Guirassy, atacante do Borussia Dortmund.O jogador de 29 anos é a escolha de Flick e deve […]

trending_flat
Fantasy Football trade candidates: Players to buy and sell now to give your team an edge in Week 6 and beyond

Creating realistic trade offers that lead to a deal being accepted is always challenging. Throughout the season, Justin Boone will be publishing his rest-of-season trade value charts, which you can use as a guide to help make moves and manage your roster. Below he highlights some of the players you should be buying or selling this week.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBuysCaleb Williams, QB, BearsWilliams is leading this space for a second straight week since nothing has changed coming off his bye. The 23-year-old flashed his fantasy ceiling multiple times in the first month, but had a quieter outing in his last game against the Raiders. You can be sure that Ben Johnson and the coaching staff took full advantage of the week off to self-assess and correct things moving forward. Now, Williams gets four consecutive matchups against defenses in the top-10 for most fantasy […]

trending_flat
Charles Oliveira calls out Max Holloway for BMF title fight after UFC Fight Night in Rio

Charles Oliveira has carved out one of the most exciting, violent resumes in UFC. After Saturday's UFC Fight Night, Oliveira wants to stress test that reputation against another all-action star, BMF champion Max Holloway.Oliveira prepares to fight Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. It's an important fight on two fronts: It's Oliveira's first time fighting for his fellow Brazilians in six years, and a potential bounce back from his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria. "Do Bronx" expedited his return to fight in Brazil. His next goal is to add another belt to his trophy case."Winning this fight and fighting for the title, whether it's BMF or the title of the division," Oliveira told CBS Sports through a Portuguese interpreter. "This is a great fight that will propel me toward a title."A Holloway rematch ticks […]

trending_flat
Fantasy Football Week 6 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em Quarterbacks: Stafford stays red-hot against banged-up Ravens

Imagn Images I'm excited to see what Caleb Williams and the Bears offense looks like coming off the bye in Week 5. I hope that Williams continues to play well and can remain a must-start Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.Now, the last time we saw Williams, he had his worst Fantasy outing of the season in Week 4 at Las Vegas with 13.8 points, which snapped a three-game streak where he scored at least 20.9 points. But he should get back on track this week against the Commanders, who have allowed three of the past four quarterbacks to score at least 22.7 Fantasy points. Last year, Williams faced Washington in Week 8 and scored just 9.9 Fantasy points in the game where the Bears lost on a Hail Mary. Williams will be much better in the rematch this week and has […]

Related

Textor diz que ninguém quis assumir o Botafogo após saída de Artur Jorge

John Textor em jogo do Botafogo. Foto AlamyDepois de uma temporada histórica em 2024, o Botafogo vive um ano marcado por frustrações. Quem afirmou isso foi o próprio John Textor, que classificou o desempenho como “fracasso” e admitiu ter dificuldade para achar um novo técnico. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEO time carioca não levantou nenhum troféu até o momento e tenta agora ao menos garantir vaga na próxima edição da Libertadores. Em entrevista ao GE, o dono da SAF alvinegra, John Textor, fez uma avaliação sincera sobre o clube.“Começamos o ano muito mal. Tivemos um treinador (Renato Paiva) com um ótimo sistema de jogo, mas acho que ele o abandonou. Estamos em quarto lugar no Brasileirão. Estou feliz? Eu disse que seria um fracasso se não vencêssemos nada, então é um fracasso. É difícil remotivar o elenco”, disse o empresário. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADETextor cita […]

Filho de Romário convive com guerra na Ucrânia e relata rotina com bombardeiros

Romarinho joga num clube na Ucrânia Foto: DivulgaçãoA experiência do jogador foi detalhada em um episódio da série “Futebol na Guerra”, apresentada pelo jornalista Cartolouco em seu canal do YouTube. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEA ida de Romarinho para a zona de conflito, segundo ele, teve o surpreendente aval e incentivo do próprio pai. “Quando surgiu a oportunidade, meu pai se amarrou na ideia, botou muita pilha para eu vir. A iniciativa foi mais dele que minha,” declarou o atacante.Contudo, após presenciar a realidade local, a família do jogador tentou persuadi-lo a retornar. “Aqui acontece muito bombardeio e mostrei isso pra minha família. Aí, quando voltei de férias, pediram para que eu não voltasse mais,” afirmou. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEApesar dos apelos, Romarinho demonstra resiliência. Com mais três meses de contrato com o UCSA, o jogador não manifesta a intenção de deixar o país neste […]

Flick aprova, e Barcelona define sucessor de Lewandowski

Barcelona está se concentrando em joia do Borussia Dortmund para substituir Lewandowski (Foto: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire)O Barcelona certamente precisará fazer ajustes no setor ofensivo durante a próxima janela de transferências de verão. Isso porque o contrato de Robert Lewandowski expira em junho de 2026, e não está descartada sua saída do clube catalão. No entanto, o cenário mais provável no momento é que o jogador polonês permaneça, mas assuma um papel de reserva. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEDe qualquer forma, o clube precisará contratar um novo centroavante de alto nível. Nesse contexto, muitos nomes têm sido mencionados na mídia recentemente, mas a decisão de Hansi Flick já foi tomada. De acordo com informações do portal “El Nacional”, o Barcelona recebeu a recomendação de contratar Serhou Guirassy, atacante do Borussia Dortmund.O jogador de 29 anos é a escolha de Flick e deve […]

trending_flat
Fantasy Football trade candidates: Players to buy and sell now to give your team an edge in Week 6 and beyond

Creating realistic trade offers that lead to a deal being accepted is always challenging. Throughout the season, Justin Boone will be publishing his rest-of-season trade value charts, which you can use as a guide to help make moves and manage your roster. Below he highlights some of the players you should be buying or selling this week.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBuysCaleb Williams, QB, BearsWilliams is leading this space for a second straight week since nothing has changed coming off his bye. The 23-year-old flashed his fantasy ceiling multiple times in the first month, but had a quieter outing in his last game against the Raiders. You can be sure that Ben Johnson and the coaching staff took full advantage of the week off to self-assess and correct things moving forward. Now, Williams gets four consecutive matchups against defenses in the top-10 for most fantasy […]

trending_flat
Charles Oliveira calls out Max Holloway for BMF title fight after UFC Fight Night in Rio

Charles Oliveira has carved out one of the most exciting, violent resumes in UFC. After Saturday's UFC Fight Night, Oliveira wants to stress test that reputation against another all-action star, BMF champion Max Holloway.Oliveira prepares to fight Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. It's an important fight on two fronts: It's Oliveira's first time fighting for his fellow Brazilians in six years, and a potential bounce back from his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria. "Do Bronx" expedited his return to fight in Brazil. His next goal is to add another belt to his trophy case."Winning this fight and fighting for the title, whether it's BMF or the title of the division," Oliveira told CBS Sports through a Portuguese interpreter. "This is a great fight that will propel me toward a title."A Holloway rematch ticks […]

trending_flat
Fantasy Football Week 6 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em Quarterbacks: Stafford stays red-hot against banged-up Ravens

Imagn Images I'm excited to see what Caleb Williams and the Bears offense looks like coming off the bye in Week 5. I hope that Williams continues to play well and can remain a must-start Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.Now, the last time we saw Williams, he had his worst Fantasy outing of the season in Week 4 at Las Vegas with 13.8 points, which snapped a three-game streak where he scored at least 20.9 points. But he should get back on track this week against the Commanders, who have allowed three of the past four quarterbacks to score at least 22.7 Fantasy points. Last year, Williams faced Washington in Week 8 and scored just 9.9 Fantasy points in the game where the Bears lost on a Hail Mary. Williams will be much better in the rematch this week and has […]

Be the first to leave a comment

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sportivo bridges the gap between talent and opportunity.

About SPORTIVO

Sportivo Network is a dedicated social platform for sports enthusiasts, athletes, and scouts. Whether you’re an aspiring athlete looking for opportunities, a coach searching for talent, or simply a sports lover wanting to connect with like-minded people, Sportivo is your go-to network. With features like direct messaging, profile showcasing, and talent scouting, Sportivo bridges the gap between talent and opportunity. Here, you can share your achievements, interact with professionals, and open doors to the next level in your sports journey. Join Sportivo Network – because every great athlete deserves to be discovered!
Copyright © 2025 SPORTIVO News. and SPORTIVO Network. All rights reserved.

Login to enjoy full advantages

Please login or subscribe to continue.

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Unfollow Cancel

Cancel subscription

Are you sure you want to cancel your subscription? You will lose your Premium access and stored playlists.

Go back Confirm cancellation