Joe Dumars urges Zion Williamson to stop wasting his potential and leads his team: "It's time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities"

Joe Dumars urges Zion Williamson to stop wasting his potential and leads his team: “It’s time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Joe Dumars is having a busy offseason with the New Orleans Pelicans. Beyond signing Kevon Looney and — albeit controversially — guiding the team through the recent NBA Draft, he also held talks with a special Pelicans player, Zion Williamson.

Recently, Joe D revealed insights from that talk, with one thing standing out: it’s time for Zanos to truly step up as the franchise cornerstone he is — or rather, is meant to be.

Untapped potential

Dumars is still new to the Pelicans, having taken over as General Manager this April. In contrast, Williamson is already a seasoned veteran. Though it might not feel that way, the dominant 6’6″ forward is about to start his seventh season in the league.

They have stayed close since day one despite joining the NOLA franchise at completely different times. As Dumars, a Detroit Pistons legend, says, “We are in constant contact with each other.”

When you have those conversations — especially when bringing the experience of a two-time NBA champion — you quickly get a sense of the person across the table. Joe saw that with Zion and came away impressed, calling the former Duke Blue Devil an incredibly good guy and a really good person.

As Dumars noted, Williamson also has uncanny on-court qualities — being immensely talented — but there’s a “but” to it all, one that’s been discussed at length.

As the story goes, Zion’s NBA journey has been defined more by what could have been than what is. Conditioning issues have consistently dogged the 2019 top draft pick, fueling a cycle of injuries that kept him off the court for more than half of New Orleans’ games across his first five seasons.

Yet, when Williamson, a two-time All-Star, stayed healthy, he was a force unlike many before him, blending raw power with rare efficiency that at times bordered on historic.

Dumars’ straight talk to Williamson

For Joe D, the architect of Detroit’s 2004 championship team, one thing is certain: the Pelicans can only succeed when Zion moves beyond potential and consistently leads the team. That’s the kind of message the GM says he’s communicated to the star player.

“I’ve talked to him about the responsibility of being great and the responsibility of being a leader, of being a captain, of being the best player, of being the face of a franchise,” said Dumars. “I’ve talked to him about how all of those things come with responsibility and how it’s time now, at 25 years old, to embrace those responsibilities. That’s what our conversations have been. It’s really just been about embracing your greatness on and off the court.”

The former NBA point guard described their talks as honest and direct, never sugarcoated. “I wasn’t mincing words,+.”

Dumars, a Louisiana native, explained that his approach comes from genuine care and a desire to help Williamson mature into a true professional.

“He also knows it comes from a place of caring about him, helping him grow into being a real, true pro,” explained the 62-year-old.

As the Pelicans’ new GM, it’s definitely Joe’s responsibility to have these candid talks. This is especially important given how much of Zion’s talent has gone untapped since joining the franchise.

Ultimately, New Orleans fans are eager to soak in the full Zion experience. That means the North Carolina native must step up, and following Dumars’ advice seems like a great starting point. Still, the sense of urgency for Williamson to do so seems to grow by the day.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.

Joe Dumars urges Zion Williamson to stop wasting his potential and leads his team: “It’s time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities”

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