@MSURacers pic.twitter.com/9hUCy0gW4S. From 2015-18, Williamson became the most famous high school player since LeBron James en route to being the top attraction in college basketball. Think about it: During his college career, when Williamson accrued single-moniker celebrity status -- his first name was as likely to be trending on Twitter on a random weeknight as any political issue or pet-friendly hashtag -- what did we really learn? [35] In his home opener on November 21, he recorded 29 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Griffins to a 7055 win over Hammond School. "I hope he won't mind me saying this, but he's a hell of a poet," says Pell, smiling coyly as he adjusts his glasses. 1 Duke 88-72", "Nike stock market value plunges by $1.1bn after basketball star Zion Williamson's shoe breaks", "Zion Williamson's shoe blowout, knee injury leads to blowback for Nike", "Zion Williamson injury makes clear: The NCAA has turned education into a risk", "NBA players urge Zion Williamson to shut it down after bizarre injury during UNC game", "Zion Williamson's injury underscores the inequities of college sports", "Zion Williamson's Exploding Shoe Is a Reminder That College Basketball Needs Serious Fixing", "How to pay NCAA athletes like Zion Williamson without costing colleges a dime", "Zion Williamson Caps Stunning Return, Leading Duke to A.C.C. Alex O'Connell is Duke's most accurate 3-point shooter (37 percent), but he only plays 13 minutes per game. [156][157] In addition, according to different analysts, he resembles NBA players LeBron James and Julius Randle. [18] In the same month, his highlights drew the praise of NBA player Stephen Curry. But when the adults who crossed paths with Williamson share their memories of him, it's striking how rarely they lean on the usual athlete-as-a-young-prodigy tropes ("When I showed up at the gym, he was already there! [77] By recording nine 25-point games in the season, Williamson set a new Duke freshman record. During his only season at Duke, he averaged 22.6 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. ", "The real story of Ja Morant and Zion Williamson playing on the same AAU team", "Eight area players ready for SCISA North-South All-Star games", "Zion Williamson picks up offer from South Carolina", "Zion Williamson leading NBA Top 100 Camp in scoring", "Zion Williamson Wins the 2016 Elite 24 Dunk Contest", "Slam Dunk: Zion Williamson repeats as Player of the Year", "Jalek Felton, Christian Brown on Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year watch list", "Zion Williamson's newfound fame has grown his social media following substantially", "Zion Williamson Drops 42 & 13 in Season Debut", "Steph Curry Is Impressed By High School Hoops Prospect Zion Williamson And You Should Be, Too", "Five-Star Junior Prospect Zion Williamson Drops 50 Points", "Zion Williamson's Monster 50-Point Performance Steals ToC Show", "Spartanburg Day's Zion Williamson has record night in tourney opener", "Newton tops Spartanburg Day; Zion Williamson named MVP", "Zion Williamson's No. Lob your question my way on Twitter. 2 sneaker even before Harden, who . 2 Duke beats NC State, 94-78", "Duke's Williamson sweeps ACC weekly honors", "Zion Williamson felled by faulty Nike as North Carolina blast top-ranked Duke", "Duke star Zion Williamson considered 'day-to-day' with a knee sprain", "With Zion injured, No. The streak eventually grew to 25 consecutive games, surpassing Hall-of-Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone[127][128] while tying Shaquille O'Neal's record of 25 consecutive such games,[129] with no other player having had a longer streak since the three-point era in 1980; his streak of 20-points games on 50-percent shooting and attempt to surpass O'Neal's record ended in a 139111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on April 7. The best testers were kept in the main gym. [164] His explosive play makes him a reliable shot-blocker and gives him prowess as a rebounder. (Mike Krzyzewski) is just the most legendary coach that ever coached college basketball. To find a spot for Williamson in the league, Givony said teams . A bit shyly, Pell hands over Williamson's note, which was addressed to him. He was a once-in-a-lifetime combination of an offensive lineman's size and. At Spartanburg Day, he wanted to create a space for his students to express their feelings through writing. 2 Duke to 91-61 rout of St. John's", "Williamson Named National Player, ACC Freshman of the Week", "Barrett has triple-double, No. Then he started writing poems. He led his team to three straight state championships and earned South Carolina Mr. Basketball recognition in his senior season. It helped me become a more social person.". "It helped me bond with kids I probably wouldn't have bonded with if I didn't go to that school. he says. Lee was able to coach some phenomenal players in South Carolina, including Zion Williamson. [5][166] By the time he was five years old, his parents divorced, and his mother subsequently married Lee Anderson, a former Clemson college basketball player. Zion Williamson introduced himself to the world when he was just a teenager. "Instead, I will take the lessons you have taught me and apply them to my next chapter.". In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. It's a 5 man pin-down for the best shooter to get him a 3 or a post up for the 5. Mike Kryzewski playing for his high school team Weber during his sophomore season in 1963. In high school, he drew national attention for his slam dunks . Family Life. Williamson, then a 6-foot-6 junior, looked down in amazement at Bishop, then a 5-foot-6 eighth grader, who was clapping it up as he took his assignment to guard Williamson. Pick-by-pick analysis As a miniature marching band plays, a kid wearing a mascot costume that looks like a fuzzy eagle with wings and a tail -- a mythical creature known as a griffin -- shimmies across the auditorium. Students of all ages pour into the gym, where Williamson's most dazzling dunks play on a projector. 260 10K views 2 years ago Most of you who watched Zion Williamson dominate the high school ranks probably remember his point guard running mate, Chandler Lindsey. "All teenagers are very emotional," he says with a chuckle. [23] On January 15, 2017, he received nationwide publicity after rapper Drake wore his jersey in an Instagram post. I think Virginia will be playing in Minneapolis in the national semifinals on April 6. But the surprising part is the paltry sums. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. 5 in Top 25 And 1 after Zion Williamson's incredible return", "Zion Williamson Puts on a Show in Classic Duke-UNC Rivalry Game", "Duke Beats FSU for Program's 21st ACC Title", "CBS hired a special cameraman to work the 'Zion Cam' and record every move the Duke star makes in his NCAA tournament run", "Top-Seeded Duke Beats NDSU, 85-62, in NCAA Opener", "Duke University Men's Basketball Postgame Notes March 24, 2019 vs. UCF", "Zion Williamson Named NABC Player, Freshman of the Year", "Zion Williamson could transform basketball in New Orleans and the Pelicans must do everything they can to get him", "Zion declares for draft after 'best year' of life", "Zion Williamson's Stepfather Says Former Duke Star Won't Return to College After Pelicans Won Lottery", "Pelicans pick Zion to open draft, Morant goes 2nd", "NBA draft: Zion Williamson is selected first by the New Orleans Pelicans", "Gamecock frustration: Of 4 S.C. players taken in NBA draft, none played at South Carolina", "Pelicans' Zion Williamson erupts for 17 in 4th, sits out final minutes of debut", "Zion Williamson: Most consecutive 20-point games by a rookie this year", "Zion is close to surpassing a rookie record held by Carmelo Anthony", "Zion Williamson becomes first teenager in NBA history with 10 straight 20-point games", "Zion Williamson goes toe to toe with LeBron James, extends teenage record with a career-high 35 points", "Zion Williamson named to NBA All-Rookie First Team", "Ja Morant, Zion Williamsom headline 2019-20 Kia All-Rookie First Team", "NBA All-Rookie: Ja Morant, Zion Williamson headline the First Team", "Zion Williamson produces more rare NBA feats in career-high 36-point game at Dallas", "Ingram, Williamson score 30, Pelicans beat Nuggets 113108", "Zion Williamson Continues Assault Of Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain Streaks", "Zion Williamson nearing Shaquille O'Neal's record, posts another 20-point game on 50-percent shooting", "Zion Williamson and surging Hawks trade NBA records in Isaiah Thomas' return to action", "Zion's streak of 20-point games comes to end as Pelicans get whacked by Nets", "Zion Williamson out after foot surgery, hope for return by regular season", "Pelicans concerned about Zion Williamson weighing more than 300 pounds", "Zion Williamson receives injection to 'stimulate bone healing,' out 4-6 more weeks", "Pelicans' Zion Williamson won't return this season due to foot injury", "Newly signed Zion wants 'to prove I'm a winner', "Kevin Durant's 5-word reaction to Zion Williamson dominating Nets", "Williamson powers Pelicans past Popovich-less Spurs, 11799", "Zion Williamson revenge dunk sparks mass NBA brawl against Phoenix Suns", "Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid named NBA Players of the Week", "Pelicans star Zion Williamson's wild 43-point night sends NBA Twitter into frenzy", "Zion Williamson out at least 3 weeks with hamstring strain", "2023 NBA All-Star Game roster announcement takeaways: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo voted team captains", "2023 NBA All-Star Game: Anthony Edwards, De'Aaron Fox, Pascal Siakam named reserve replacements", "Zion Williamson is injured again, so what do the Pelicans do now? had to ice his knees to soothe his growing pains, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "[38] Williamson made his return from the injury on January 11, 2018, scoring 31 points in a 7162 victory over Asheville Christian Academy. 1 pick? Zion Williamson High School Pos PF Height 6-6 Weight 275 Evaluation Timeline Prospect Info High School Spartanburg Day School City Spartanburg, SC Class 2018 Watch Highlights Player. The morning before Duke takes on North Dakota State in the opening round of the tournament, Spartanburg Day holds a pep rally to celebrate its famous alumnus. Trivia. [6], Williamson attended Spartanburg Day School, a small K12 private school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he played basketball for the Griffins. For all Duke's strengths, there are glaring weaknesses begging to be exploited if they don't get fixed by March. Good story for mid-major college hoops. In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. JJ Redick calls Zion Williamson 'a detached teammate' after hearing he didn't contact new Pelican CJ McCollum Redick ripped Zion for not greeting new teammate McCollum, who said the two have now . We were playing a game at Morehead State. Sometimes, he adds, people ask him for his former classmate's number. #SCtop10 #GoJacks pic.twitter.com/MDwRFHFCrZ. [4] He joined the basketball team at Johnakin Middle School in Marion, South Carolina, where he was again coached by his mother and averaged 20 points per game. [10] In his sophomore season, Williamson averaged 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and 2.7 steals per game and was named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year. Some of his old teammates are scattered in the bleachers. Reaching 3,000 is such a rarity, yet here we have two guys ready to do it in the same season and within less than two weeks of each other. Kane was smitten and dumbfounded: Why is this kid not playing in the main gym, and who the hell is he? 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