7 April 2021. 2 Duke to 91-61 rout of St. John's", "Williamson Named National Player, ACC Freshman of the Week", "Barrett has triple-double, No. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020. [4] In 2013, he guided Johnakin to an 81 record and a conference title. [16] Starting in the 201617 season, Williamson was propelled into the national spotlight for his viral highlight videos. "But there are also some things that are just innate. It feels like dude has been 6'8, 285 since birth. "Zion was always a mild-mannered kid, never showed much expression," Tee Morant, Ja's father, told CBS Sports. Zion Williamson PF #1 Current Team: New Orleans Pelicans Born: Jul 6, 2000 (22 years old) Birthplace/Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina Nationality: United States Height: 6-6 (198cm) Weight: 284 (129kg) @ZionW32 Current NBA Status: Under Contract (New Orleans Pelicans) Free Agent: UFA-2028 Agent: Austin Brown Draft Entry: 2019 NBA Draft Williamson got nothing but respect for his former rival The skinny and short eighth-grader who once guarded Zion Williamson is carving his own path in the game. Because he played for a tiny school against other tiny schools (and missed some of the national showcases at which top prospects compete), his early tape occasionally evokes Gulliver stomping among the Lilliputians. He was a once-in-a-lifetime combination of an offensive lineman's size and. There were so many high hopes for Zion Williamson, going back as far as his high school days in South Carolina. Earlier that day, dozens of kids were measured and went through drills. By the middle of Williamson's junior year, after he scored 53 in the Chick-fil-A Classic in Columbia against top prospect Jalek Felton, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound teenager was a media sensation. As Williamson was set to enter his senior season of high school, according to sources, some within the brand had discussed having Williamson debut the Harden Vol. [150][151] NBA player Kevin Durant described him as a "once-in-a-generation type athlete" while an anonymous college basketball coach labeled him a "freak of nature. 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. Zion Williamson: High School Career. Would trading Zion to build a Knicks superteam be a mistake? When Sartor motioned him over to speak with the coach, Williamson exited the arena, walked outside and came in through a side door so he wouldn't attract extra attention. Deems remembers him as a student who was passionate about history and wanted to join the school's delegation to the capitol for a government immersion program -- a logistical challenge, she recalls, because he couldn't go anywhere at the time without being interrupted. 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. In middle school, Williamson was a point guard and lost only three games in two years. Once the drumming subsides, a kid wearing a Christian Laettner jersey passes the microphone to the head of the school, Rachel Deems. Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m). [100] After posting 21 points in a 7363 victory over Florida State in the championship game, Williamson was named ACC Tournament MVP, becoming the sixth freshman to win the honor. Despite his weight issues, there was no doubt about Williamson going in as the 1st pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Liddell Trey Murphy III Brandon Ingram Morant getting back to the NCAA Tournament would be a boon for Murray State -- and set the stage for an electric Cinderella candidate. 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. Duke has traditionally ranked among the best power-conference teams -- if not the best teams overall -- from long range. Trivia. Skilled in Alcatel, MobileIron, LANDesk, System Deployment, and Sophos. 1 pick achieves the level of NBA superstardom augured by his current trajectory, it's easy to imagine tourists stopping to take pictures of the landmarks that defined Williamson's high school years. "I've always thought James is one of the top talent evaluators in college basketball," McMahon said. It was a big tournament, everyone went crazy, and that went viral.". "He would be doing all this amazing stuff, and I'd be like" -- he lowers his voice to a whisper -- "'What is going on? Zion threw down a few dunks during his. The 2023 NBA Draft will take place on Jun. "This fall, during one of our opening basketball games, I sat down, and I had this moment of realization," she says. While Pell usually let his students spend the period writing, he sometimes shared readings with them at the beginning of the hour so they could learn by example -- works by Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas and Billy Collins. While Williamson's unusual high school rsum molded him in unexpected ways, it also made him a mystery in scouting circles. [67] In his following game, a 9472 victory over Army, Williamson tallied 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks. So, he knows what the $194 million contract-bound Zion Williamson has already got without playing one complete season since his draft. He would join fellow top recruits Canada's R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish from Pennsylvania. Ja Morant, left, and Zion Williamson are bound together in NBA history as the top two picks in the 2019 draft. 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 . When he is asked how it feels to play so close to his old high school and how his years there shaped him, he pauses to gather his thoughts. Has that ever happened? As Morant's star has risen, along with his position into the top five on NBA mock drafts, he's developed some fables around his time before Murray State. Ja Morant is an incredible point guard and is a potential top five pick because of his floor-reading ability as much as his athleticism. At first, Williamson tried his hand at short stories, but he wasn't entirely satisfied with the results. [47][48] He additionally earned South Carolina Mr. Basketball recognition and was runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA. [105] Through 33 appearances in his freshman season, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. [36] In the game, Williamson bruised his left foot, which sidelined him for over a month. Lee Sartor: Coaching Zion Williamson in High School Lee Sartor began coaching club basketball at a young age, and has been coaching at Erskine College for four years now. "He was playing in front of thousands, but if he had to walk out in front of 30 people he didn't like that," he says. Five comps for Zion 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? [12] He led the Griffins to their first SCISA Region I-2A title in program history. The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson are like one of those old-school math problems: a train is leaving New Orleans' Union Passenger Terminal and averaging 80 mph and a train is leaving . It's been almost as long since Duke was this unreliable from 3-point range as well. Principal, KLC School of Design. [39] On January 13, in a nationally televised game at the Hoophall Classic, he scored 36 points as his team lost to Chino Hills High School. He opens a folder sitting on his lap and pulls out a sheet of paper. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegebasketball | pageType: stories | [7] At the time, he competed for the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as well, where he was teammates with Ja Morant. he says. "He's really nice," Patel says. Williamson, for his part, quickly developed a reputation as an unselfish player -- a characteristic, says Bui, that dates back to his high school days. Twelve? [169], Williamson out with knee injury in February 2019, Williamson sits on the bench during a game versus, 202223 season: Contract extension and season-ending injury, South Carolina Independent School Association, "Zion Williamson selected to 2021 NBA All-Star Game", "Williamson drawing attention as one of 2018's finest", "Chick-fil-A Classic: Zion Williamson is taking the country by storm", "The legend of basketball phenom Zion Williamson", "Middle school basketball teams capture conference championships", "Zion Williamson, 16, might be the best dunker on the Internet. [25] On February 14, he led Spartanburg Day past Oakbrook Prep for their first SCISA Region I-2A title, chipping in a game-high 37 points in a 10549 rout. There's a goodness about him that I think people want to celebrate.". Williamson, for his part, quickly developed a reputation as an unselfish player -- a characteristic, says Bui, that dates back to his high school days. I think UVA will win the rematch vs. Duke on Feb. 9. Former NBA player Stephen Jackson recently weighed in on New Orleans Pelicans' star Zion Williamson absence during the playoffs, suggesting that the young player should make more of an effort to get back on the court. [159] The Charlotte Observer remarked that he "could be the best high-school dunker in history. 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. At each player's respective pace, Clemons (29.2 points per game) should hit 3K on Feb. 21 in Campbell's home game vs. High Point. At the time, he competed for the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as well, where he was teammates with Ja Morant. Coming out of high school, the forward wasn't universally regarded as a future NBA star, in part because some saw him as little more than a dunker, the sort of human highlight reel condescendingly referred to as a mixtape player. He recently projected Williamson as the No. He set the single-game school scoring record for freshmen in January 2019, claimed ACC Rookie of the Week accolades five times, earned AP Player of the Year, Sporting News College Player of the Year recognition, and won the Wayman Tisdale Award. [95] Sporting News named Williamson as its Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. In late-September, team officials were hopeful that he would be ready to return by the start of the season. ", "Another Zion Williamson season ends in the toilet", "Why 5-star Zion Williamson would fit better at Clemson than Kentucky, Kansas, or Duke", "Zion Williamson breaks Duke vertical leap record", "We've never seen anyone like Zion Williamson but will his game work in the NBA? This is not a set. As a result, critics questioned whether the SportsCenter favorite, a raw shooter, could dominate tougher competition. [30] In June, he appeared on the cover of basketball magazine Slam. . Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are going from being former AAU teammates to likely the top two picks in the 2019 NBA draft. Zion's senior team at his high school has won three state championships. [4] He competed in youth leagues with his mother Sharonda Sampson coaching and played for the Sumter Falcons on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, facing opponents four years older than him. As cameras and tape recorders are thrust in front of his face, he patiently answers a question about dunking on Tacko Fall, the 7'6 star of Duke's next opponent, UCF. #SCtop10 #GoJacks pic.twitter.com/MDwRFHFCrZ. Soon after, other schools followed -- slowly, because Morant wasn't on social media and didn't use the platform to boost his reputation the way the most players do now. [108], On April 15, 2019, Williamson declared his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft. The two have remained friends. Furthermore, he was known as South Carolina's Mr. Basketball. [13] In August, he won the Under Armour Elite 24 showcase dunk contest in New York City. First-round winners/losers "[160] NBA point guard John Wall has likened Williamson's in-game dunking ability to that of Vince Carter. ", The next day, after Duke advances to the second round, Williamson sits in the locker room for his obligatory media availability, his boulder-sized chest caving in a little as a battalion of reporters descends. [5][7][162] Recruiting service 247Sports has praised his ball handling and passing skills for his size, commenting that they are "overshadowed by [his] athletic plays. Without anyone saying a word to him, he flipped our 4 and 5, he saw they were over-sending on the pin-down, ran the same play, had the 4 slip the pin-down and threw a left handed lob pass from 25 feet on the money for a dunk. He wasn't 100 percent comfortable -- he was feeling his way into the class." If so what would they need to do to get there and do you think they can? Standing a little over 6-foot-3, Asa Waters isn't exactly tiny. Zion Williamson introduced himself to the world when he was just a teenager. In 2021, he became the fourth youngest NBA player to be selected to an All-Star game.[2]. On the fly, Ja recognized how they were playing that pin-down action. [98] Williamson also became the first Duke player to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game since Christian Laettner in 1992. He played 18 minutes and finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds, scoring 17 consecutive points in 3:08 minutes during the fourth quarter. Zion Williamson Posterized Me in High School What was it like to just be some regular teenage kid, having to match up against a generational talent like Williamson, an NBA No. "The kid can write.". For those of you who don't. [58][59] He explained the decision, "Duke stood out because the brotherhood represents a family. In high school, he drew national attention for his slam dunks. Donnie Bui, a 27-year-old videographer who cut highlight reels for the website BallIsLife.com, moved to Charlotte to cover Williamson. Without looking, what's your guess on how many Division I men's basketball players have scored 3,000 career points? Duke's Zion Williamson (1) flashes a grin after his team made a play against North Carolina State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C March 18, 2019, 3:28PM section: | slug: court-report-the-real-story-of-ja-morant-zion-williamson-playing-on-the-same-aau-team | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | "He called me and said, 'This kid's going to be a pro.'". Kane was smitten and dumbfounded: Why is this kid not playing in the main gym, and who the hell is he? With 28 points on 13/20 shooting in a season-high 33 minutes of play, Williamson was just one game behind Carmelo Anthony for most consecutive 20-point games as a teenager at 8. [15] High school sports website MaxPreps named him National Junior of the Year and to the High School All-American first team, while USA Today High School Sports gave him All-USA first team recognition. [23] On January 15, 2017, he received nationwide publicity after rapper Drake wore his jersey in an Instagram post. "There are sunshine people and cloudy people," Krzyzewski says. 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. [85] Nike saw the value of its stock drop by $1.1 billion the following day as a result of the incident. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Tfksxjc0fY. In a recently unearthed documentary from Williamson's high school days in South Carolina, the big man talks about his relationship with young fans and explains why he always signs as many . Coach Krzyzewski and Zion Williamson had similar experiences during their teenage basketball careers. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. In July 2016, former Murray State assistant James Kane was heavily recruiting a prospect named Tevin Brown (who now starts for Murray State). [9] He also led Spartanburg Day to a South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) state championship game appearance. New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) watches the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of the first Play-In game at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans,. Here's how he might fit in some possible destinations. A professionally qualified pensions and employee benefits specialist, with a wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge and understanding of the UK pensions and benefits landscape, gained from working for both leading consultancies and providers and with large corporate and Trustee clients. [107][108] In addition, Williamson joined Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis as the only freshmen to collect 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season. [101], For the 2019 NCAA tournament, official broadcast partner CBS specifically devoted a cameracalled the "Zion Cam"to record Williamson throughout the tournament. [131] By mid-October, the timeline for his expected return was extended until December. Which coaches do you think will be Hall of Famers (inducted that is) in the next 20 years? Murray State sophomore point guard Ja Morant's rise in the past month is unlike anything mid-major college basketball has seen in a long time. Five comps for Zion He led New Orleans to an undefeated 30 week with averages of 33.0 points and 8.3 rebounds on 70.4% shooting from the field. [1] Following a freshman-year stint with the Duke Blue Devils, Williamson was selected by the Pelicans with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Against Pitt on Tuesday night: 7-for-23 from deep. "I was wondering how best I could communicate to you the kind of person he is," Pell says. [18] In the same month, his highlights drew the praise of NBA player Stephen Curry. Alex O'Connell is Duke's most accurate 3-point shooter (37 percent), but he only plays 13 minutes per game. [15] Entering the season, he was among 50 players selected to the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award watch list. [146] Subsequently, Williamson sat out the Pelicans appearance in their play-in game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which New Orleans lost, effectively ending their season. Kane wanders into the back gym, looking for grub. [11] By his second year in high school, he stood 6ft 6in (1.98m). Instead, he finds the next NBA player to come out of Murray State. [22] On December 30, Williamson recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds to win most valuable player (MVP) at the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic. ", "Duke's Zion Williamson talks dunks, his fame and learning from Coach K", "Is Zion Williamson the best prep dunker ever? With Williamson's Spartanburg Day School facing one of their rivals, an extremely undersized opponent named Bryson Bishop checks in and prepares to guard the future No. I think Virginia will get a No. [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. "The narrative hasn't been told correctly," Murray State coach Matt McMahon told me this week. Williamson also left high school as a McDonald's All-American, runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA, and USA Today All-USA first team honoree. Zion hit his on the backboard during a Duke game in 2018. . Williamson (from Spartanburg, S.C.) and Morant (from Dalzell, S.C.) lived nearly 90 minutes apart; the program was based out of Columbia, S.C., and they'd each drive about 45 minutes for practices, games, etc. Zion was known to be together with his high school girlfriend Tiana White, although some reports have claimed that the pair is no longer together. Years before their paths would converge again as the top two prospects in the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were just a couple of kids from small-town South Carolina playing on a . Strong information technology professional graduated from Preston Manor High School . What Happened to Zion Williamson's Old Teammate Chandler Lindsey?? 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? 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