Zion Williamson is the most electrifying player in college football and arguably the most dynamic player in recent memory. But that hasn’t stopped some from saying the Duke Blue Devils star should stay off of the court.
In fact, ESPN analyst and former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen suggested that Williamson should sit out the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
The reason? Williamson has a bright NBA future and Pippen believes he should “shut it down” to avoid injury.
“I think he’s done enough for college basketball, that it’s more about him personally now,” Pippen said during an interview on ESPN’s “The Jump.” “I think for him as a young player (pauses), I would shut it down. I would stop playing, because I feel that he could risk a major injury that could really hurt his career.”
Williamson, however, is not having any of that.
“I can’t just stop playing. I’d be letting my teammates down, I’d be letting Coach K down, I’d be letting a lot of people down. If I wanted to sit out, I wouldn’t have went to college. I came to Duke to play,” Williamson said after Duke took down Virginia on Saturday night.
Zion Williamson on Scottie Pippen's comments: "I can't just stop playing. I'd be letting my teammates down, I'd be letting Coach K down, I'd be letting a lot of people down. If I wanted to sit out, I wouldn't have went to college. I came to Duke to play." @SportsHubTriad
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamRadio) January 20, 2019
For fans of college basketball and the Blue Devils, that should be music to their ears.
For future Duke opponents and those who can’t stomach the thought of seeing Mike Krzyzewski’s squad claim another national championship, we are sorry.
