Zion Williamson is one of the best NBA draft prospects to come out in years. Williamson is the frontrunner for the Naismith Award and scored 27 points in second-ranked Duke’s victory over fourth-ranked Virginia on January 19. The freshman phenom from Spartanburg, South Carolina has been so sensational this year, that NBA legend Scottie Pippen said that he has done enough for college basketball.
Williamson stated that he would not sit out for the rest of the season after Duke’s big win over Virginia.
“I can’t just stop playing,” Williamson said. “I’d be letting my teammates down. I’d be letting Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] down. I’d be letting a lot of people down. If I was going to be sitting out, I wouldn’t have gone to college. I’m thankful that Coach K gave me the opportunity.”
All you need to know on basketball’s biggest rising star can be seen below.
About Zion Williamson
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Age: 18
Born: Salisbury, South Carolina
2019 NBA Draft Projection: No. 1
Bio: Zion Williamson was born on July 6, 2000, in Salisbury, South Carolina. His mother, Sharonda Anderson, named him after the biblical Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. His parents were collegiate athletes at Livingstone College as Anderson ran track, while his biological father Lateef Williamson played football.
Williamson was a consensus five-star recruit from Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina, where he became an internet sensation due to his ferocious dunks. The YouTube sensation was so popular that Drake and Odell Beckham Jr. were both spotted on Instagram wearing his high school jersey. Williamson led Spartanburg Day School to three consecutive South Carolina Class AA state championships, averaging 36.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a senior.
The basketball phenom played in the 2018 McDonald’s All-American game, where he scored 8 points on 4-9 shooting and won the Powerade Jam Contest. Through 17 games this season, Williamson is averaging 21.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.2 blocks per game for the second-ranked Duke Blue Devils. He is currently leading the ACC in field goal percentage at 65.9 percent.