Aquarium names penguin chick after Zion Williamson

NEW ORLEANS -- There's a new Zion in town.

The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans announced Tuesday that its new penguin chick has been named Zion, after New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson.

Williamson received acclaim in the New Orleans area in the days following the suspension of the NBA season by announcing he would cover the salaries of the Smoothie King Center workers for 30 days. Shortly after Williamson said he'd step up, Pelicans and Saints owner Gayle Benson committed $1 million to establish a COVID-19 fund while also pledging to help workers separate of that.

The Aquarium said it chose the name to honor Williamson, adding in an Instagram post that "Zion embraced the New Orleans community with a truly remarkable act of generosity."

Zion the penguin was born Feb. 17, while the Pelicans were off for the All-Star break.

It's the second animal named after a local sports star in the past two months. In February, the Baton Rouge Zoo named its new giraffe Burreaux after LSU Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow.