Zion Williamson, born July 6, 2000, is a professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Drafted first overall in 2019, he quickly gained recognition, being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and becoming an All-Star in 2021.
However, his career has been marred by injuries; he has played in less than 50% of games since joining the NBA.
Siblings
Zion has a younger half-brother named Noah Anderson, who is 13 years his junior.
Noah, born to Zion’s mother Sharonda Sampson and stepfather Lee Anderson, has a close relationship with Zion, who often refers to him affectionately and engages in activities like basketball with him.
College career
Williamson began his basketball journey as a high school sensation at Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina, where he gained national attention for his incredible athleticism and scoring ability.
Ranked as the top recruit in the 2018 class, his commitment to play for Duke University under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski heightened expectations surrounding his college career.
In the 2018-2019 season, Zion had a remarkable impact on the Duke Blue Devils, averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and shooting an impressive 68% from the field.
His combination of size, speed, and skill made him a standout player, and he quickly became known for his explosive dunks and highlight-reel plays.
Zion’s freshman season was filled with dominant performances.
He opened the season with a stellar game against Kentucky, scoring 28 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
However, his season took a turn when he suffered a knee injury during a highly publicized game against North Carolina in February 2019, where his shoe infamously exploded while he was making a quick cut.
Despite this setback, Zion led Duke to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
NBA career
On June 20, 2019, Zion was selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Draft, generating significant excitement among fans and analysts alike.
Unfortunately, he faced another setback when he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee during preseason training camp, which caused him to miss the first half of the NBA season.
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He made his highly anticipated debut on January 22, 2020, against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 22 points in just 18 minutes of play.
In those final games of his rookie season, Zion averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
His performance put him in contention for Rookie of the Year honors despite playing only 24 games.
In his second season (2020-2021), Zion truly emerged as an elite player in the league.
He averaged an impressive 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while maintaining an exceptional shooting percentage of over 61%.
However, injuries continued to plague Zion’s career.
In July 2021, he underwent surgery to repair a fractured foot that had sidelined him during training camp for the start of the 2021-2022 season.
Presently, Zion has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him off the court since early November.
Accolades
Williamson has garnered numerous accolades throughout his basketball career, both in college and the NBA, reflecting his outstanding talent and impact on the game.
During his single season at Duke University (2018-2019), he was named the Citizen Naismith Trophy winner, recognizing him as college basketball’s most outstanding player.
He became just the third freshman to receive this honor, joining elite company with Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant.
Additionally, he swept the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards, making him the third player in ACC history to achieve both in the same season.
His remarkable performance included averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and leading the nation in field goal percentage at 68%.
Williamson also received several other prestigious awards during his freshman year, including the Wayman Tisdale Award for the nation’s best freshman and the Karl Malone Award for the best power forward.
In his transition to the NBA, Zion was selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 draft.
He earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020 and became one of the youngest players to be selected for an NBA All-Star game in 2021.
His rookie season saw him finish third in voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, despite playing only 24 games due to injury.
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