The Pelicans had to issue a suspension but the locker room has been encouraged by Zion Williamson's response to public scolding.

The New Orleans Pelicans suspend Zion Williamson before Friday night's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Zion Williamson, who just returned to the Pelicans after a two-month absense due to injury, will miss Friday’s game in Philadelphia.

The Pelicans had to suspend Zion Williamson for at least one game after years of falling short of the franchise's standard.

In a statement, Williamson said he takes full responsibility for the suspension and that there is no excuse for being late to team activities.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has gone through an eventful week. On Tuesday, he returned from a hamstring injury after missing the previous 27 ga

Zion Williamson was suspended one game by the Pelicans for arriving late to the team’s flight to Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania . He’ll miss New Orleans’ Friday night game against the 76ers as a result.

Zion Williamson has had a roller coaster of a career, and it’s mostly been because of injuries. The New Orleans Pelicans star has been sidelined for most of this season with a hamstring injury, but he recently returned to the court.

Via Pelicans: “Pelicans have suspended forward Zion Williamson for one game for a violation of team policies, announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. Zion will miss tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers and will rejoin the team tomorrow.”

The New Orleans Pelicans are enjoying one of their best winning stretches of a frustrating season, but they still managed to draw the ire of the SportsTalk desk in the process. See more on WWL and Audacy.