Duke was 9-for-43 vs. the Orange, then, interestingly, was 2-for-14 vs. Virginia but didn't lose -- in part because the Blue Devils watched UVA go 3-for-17. Williamson and Morant were together on the Hornets for only one summer. [4] In 2013, he guided Johnakin to an 81 record and a conference title. [70] Two days later, Williamson earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for a second time. TheChosenONE 55K subscribers Subscribe 6.6K Share 385K views 3 years ago What Happened to Zion Williamson's Old Teammate. [111][112][113] On July 1, 2019, Williamson officially signed with the Pelicans. "I think the game he really opened a lot of people's eyes, one kid went up for a layup and he tried to put it high off the glass and Zion looked like he went to the top of the square and pinned it. | Learn more about Jerome Williamson's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn [137] On December 2, Williamson scored 30 points and matched career highs with 15 rebounds and eight assists in an 11799 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Speaking about Williamson's $194 million contract, Jackson acknowledged that he had already achieved a great deal in his career, [] He ranked first among all rookies in points per game, second in rebounds per game and first in offensive rebounds per game. [44][45] The injury also forced him to miss the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit in the following month. [10] In March 2015, Williamson took part in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game in Sumter, South Carolina. [121][122][123], On February 12, 2021, Williamson scored a then career high 36 points in a 143130 defeat against the Dallas Mavericks; he finished the game on 14-of-15 shooting from the field, making him the youngest player in NBA history with 30 points on 90 percent shooting. One of them was 17-year-old Zion Williamson. Tuesday night's buzzer-beating loss at Northern Illinois was tough, but yes, if Buffalo were to lose only once more between now and Selection Sunday (that's asking a lot, of course), I think it would get a 4 seed. Bryson Bishop presents one of his college jerseys to Williamson that sported the same number . All of those teams intrinsically have entertaining guys to watch. At the end of the school year, some of the senior athletes wrote letters to their teachers. He was one of several basketball players to help the arena workers. [51] In the summer of 2015, Williamson emerged with the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as one of the top players in his class. Lee was able to coach some phenomenal players in South Carolina, including Zion Williamson. Williamson, for his part, quickly developed a reputation as an unselfish player -- a characteristic, says Bui, that dates back to his high school days. While Williamson and his family emphatically avoided the spotlight during his time at Duke, turning down most interview requests -- including one for this story -- there are lessons to be gleaned from examining his years at Spartanburg Day, a K-12 school with just 450 students (Williamson's graduating class had 45 kids). The answer is eight -- but it will soon be 10. [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. On the fly, Ja recognized how they were playing that pin-down action. He wasn't 100 percent comfortable -- he was feeling his way into the class." Williamson and Morant, both South Carolina natives, played on the same AAU team the summer before Williamson's freshman year of high school and Morant's sophomore year. Some questioned whether Duke's freshmen could suppress their egos. ", "Zion Williamson: Basketball's next dunking prodigy", "Kevin Durant on Zion Williamson: 'He's a once-in-a-generation type athlete', "Zion Williamson to Duke: Three takeaways as hyper-athletic forward joins Blue Devils mens basketball", "Adidas Gauntlet: Feeding frenzy for five-star Langford", "The Insane Growth Of The Man-Child That Is Zion Williamson", "Rival Views: The best Zion Williamson comparison", "Is SC dunking phenom Zion Williamson basketball's next LeBron James? [99] The next day, he scored 31 points including the game-winner to help Duke defeat North Carolina, 7473, in the ACC Tournament semifinals. [166] She named Williamson after the biblical location Mount Zion near Jerusalem, taking her grandmother's advice to name him "something extra special. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to post 16 20-point games within their first 20 contests while also logging the highest scoring average through his first 24 career NBA games since Jordan in 1983. There's the Beacon Drive-In, the diner where he celebrated with his teammates after winning the state championship. 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. Even high school Zion. "But physically, he was just like them." The mere fact that Williamson, one of the most hyped basketball recruits in a generation, attended Spartanburg Day, a school best known for its academics -- and stayed there, shunning the advances of so-called basketball factories -- makes him an anomaly. "He was recruited.". "[84] The incident led to growing calls for Williamson to stop playing basketball at the college level because he had already established himself as the top 2019 NBA draft prospect. "I think it was an atmosphere where Zion could grow and be himself and just be a high school student," he says. [37] While recovering, he commented, "It's really been a time to grow mentally. My guess on active coaches who will be in the Hall of Fame by the year 2039: John Beilein, Tony Bennett, Mark Few, Bob Huggins, Lon Kruger, Tubby Smith, Jay Wright. It was a notable tournament in Greensboro, N.C., that sent the two on forking paths. "He called me and said, 'This kid's going to be a pro.'". "He's brilliant sunshine. At age nine, Williamson began waking up every morning at 5a.m. to go train. From 2015-18, Williamson became the most famous high school player since LeBron James en route to being the top attraction in college basketball. "I was wondering how best I could communicate to you the kind of person he is," Pell says. "All teenagers are very emotional," he says with a chuckle. "But I think it was unbelievably important for him, as a person, to stay in that environment," he says, among students who treated him "like a regular human being." [104] Williamson led all scorers on March 31, with 24 points and 14 rebounds in a season-ending 6867 loss to Michigan State in the Elite 8. [77] By recording nine 25-point games in the season, Williamson set a new Duke freshman record. There were so many high hopes for Zion Williamson, going back as far as his high school days in South Carolina. Morant getting back to the NCAA Tournament would be a boon for Murray State -- and set the stage for an electric Cinderella candidate. Principal, KLC School of Design. [55] Entering his junior season, he was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked the number one player in the 2018 class by recruiting service 247Sports. [168], On March 13, 2020, Williamson pledged to pay for the salaries of all the employees of the Smoothie King Center for 30 days during the suspension of the 201920 NBA season, which was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Zion Williamson's Year in College Was Worth More Than He Got His name surfaces again in a lawsuit over shoe company payments to college players. There's Wofford College, the first school to offer him a scholarship. Sartor credits this dichotomy to the influence of Williamson's family -- Sharonda, who coached him in middle school, was a calming force -- and the intimacy of his school environment. Just as troubling is Duke's free throw percentage. [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. [71] On January 8, he posted 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in an 8765 win over Wake Forest. A few more players to add to that: Carsen Edwards, Ja Morant, Coby White, C.J. Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are going from being former AAU teammates to likely the top two picks in the 2019 NBA draft. Morant and Williamson couldn't have had a more disparate paths to get to this point. "), instead telling stories that paint a picture of an active, growing mind. [159] The Charlotte Observer remarked that he "could be the best high-school dunker in history. 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? "The kid can write.". "I think by his sophomore year, we knew that it was getting bigger than any of us could imagine. He said, 'I'm not sure.' "[158] Williamson, who is left-handed, is almost ambidextrous. Only once in that span did the Blue Devils fall outside the top 60 nationally in 3-point percentage. He was 14 of 24 from the field, but there is no doubt which bucket was his biggest. 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. @MattNorlander do you think there is any chance Buffalo could end up with a top 4 seed? The Pelicans may not have had the season . Five comps for Zion Here's the truth: The summer before Morant was a sophomore in high school and Williamson was a freshman, they played on a small regional grassroots team called the South Carolina Hornets that did not have any shoe-company backing. During his senior and final high school season, Zion Williamson committed to Duke on January 20, 2018 in a live ESPN telecast. Massinburg, Frankie Ferrari, Shamorie Ponds. [41] On February 17, he posted 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals, while scoring his 3,000th career point, versus Spartanburg Christian Academy at the SCISA Region I-2A tournament. "He was shy about that," Pell says, quickly adding: "He wasn't the only one." He plays the power forward position. 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. Zion Williamson's High School Career. [5][166] Sampson was a sprinter at Livingstone and became a middle school health and physical education teacher. The 2023 NBA Draft will take place on Jun. In the summer leading up to his first season, Williamson practiced in the school gym and developed the ability to dunk. "There are sunshine people and cloudy people," Krzyzewski says. [135] Williamson made his return from injury on October 4, 2022, putting up 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a 129125 preseason win over the Chicago Bulls. [73] Williamson returned in Duke's next game, a 9591 overtime loss to Syracuse, and erupted for 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks. "We're here to celebrate the success of a Griffin who is fairly well-known around the country. Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m). ", A faraway look crosses her face. Family Life. [53] On August 30, 2016, he received a scholarship offer from Duke. [133] In mid-March, it was announced that Williamson would not play that season. [96] He returned from injury on March 14, posting 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 steals in an 8472 win over Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. 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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