Zion: NBA hiatus allowed me to get 'back to square one'

For Zion Williamson, the NBA's hiatus allowed the New Orleans Pelicans star to reset and get back to the game's basics.

"It just felt like I was five years old again," Williamson said Friday, according to ESPN's Andrew Lopez. "Just went back to square one, tried to get my body where it needs to be, get my fundamentals back to square one, and start from there. So, yeah, it was just like starting over at five again. It was a great process to learn it all over."

Williamson and teammate Kenrich Williams received special clearance to continue rehabbing at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center after the league shut down its training facilities in late March. Last year's No. 1 overall pick also spent time training with his stepfather.

Williamson appeared stronger in a recent photo released by the team, and the phenom teased an improved brand of basketball.

"Yeah, I think there are going to be parts of my game that you didn't see before that you'll see when we start playing," Williamson said.

New Orleans will kick off the NBA restart July 30 against the Utah Jazz. The Pelicans trail the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by 3 1/2 games.