The Zion Williamson File
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Height: 6-6
Weight: 284
Age: 22
Birthday: 7/6/2000
College: Duke
Draft: 1st overall pick, 2019 NBA Draft
Contract: Signed a 5-year, $194.3 million contract extension in 2022
Rewards/Accomplishments
- All Star, 2020-21
- First Team All Rookie, 2019-20
- McDonald's All American, 2017-18
- NCAA AP First Team All-American, 2018-19
- Naismith Award (NCAA), 2018-19
Great Expectations
From a young age, Zion Williamson was expected to be a star. While most children in kindergarten were focused on coloring pictures, enjoying recess, or just having fun, Williamson was focused on the future. He wanted to become a professional basketball player, and his parents were on board. Williamson was the only 5-year old on a AAU team of 9-year olds. By the time he reached the age of nine, he was waking up at 5 A.M. for workouts.
At just about every level, he was the best player with the biggest expectations. Williamson burst onto the scene in high school, becoming a viral sensation. By then, the hype was inescapable, as fans and media essentially crowned him the next great NBA legend, the best prospect since LeBron James. After finally hearing his name called in what amounted to be one of the easiest picks of all time, Williamson dazzled upon entering the league. He had the skills of a point guard, but the body and physicality that even most big men lack in today's league. Despite all of that, he struggled with injuries, missing just about 50% of the possible number of games the Pelicans have played. There's no disputing Williamson's status as one of the NBA's brightest stars, but there will continue to be questions about how sustainable it is for a guy that can't quite shake the injury bug.