Following an impressive freshman-year with the Duke Blue Devils, power forward Zion Williamson was selected No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft.
During his brief stint at Duke, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. His 68% field goal percentage was the highest ever by a freshman in NCAA Division I history.. While many of Williamson’s stats are publicized, here’s 7 interesting facts you probably didn’t know about the standout NBA superstar.
He Comes From a Line of Athletes
Williamson isn’t the only athlete in his family. His father, Lateef Williamson, was a 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end for N.C. State before losing his scholarship due to academics.
His mother was a sprinter at Livingstone College and his stepfather played basketball for Clemson University. Zion is a sprinter in a football player’s body competing at the professional basketball level.
A Tremendous Growth Spurt
Between Zion’s freshman and junior year in high school, he gained 100 pounds and grew nearly an entire foot, going from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-7. In just two years, he went from looking like Nate Robinson to NFL TE Rob Gronkowski.
A Name of Biblical Proportions
As told by Williamson’s mother, Zion’s name is a biblical reference.
“When I was pregnant, my grandmother kept telling me he is going to be extra special. So when you go look for a name for him, look for something extra special,” she recalled. “Flipping through the Bible and Zion just caught me. Now, he is so big he looks like a Mount Zion.”
Offered a Football Scholarship From LSU
Prior to committing to Duke to play Division I basketball, Zion was offered a full scholarship to play football at LSU. The team’s tight end coach, Eric Mateos, clearly saw Zion’s athletic ability and felt he could be a force on the gridiron.
He Almost Became a Clemson Tiger
Zion’s stepfather, Lee Anderson, recalled that Clemson University had a “mile-and-a-half lead” in recruiting the standout athlete, but completely squandered the opportunity.
Duke’s Coach K swooped in and convinced Zion to become a Blue Devil rather than a Tiger. Zion said Duke “represents a family” and that Coach K is “just the most legendary coach that ever coached college basketball.” Zion said he could “learn a lot” from Coach K.
Rapper Drake Wore His High School Jersey
Seeing pictures of celebrities wearing professional athlete’s jerseys is nothing new. In fact, many Hollywood stars will even sport college uniforms depending on how good the player is projected to become.
However, it’s not everyday you see someone like Drake wearing a high school basketball jersey. On several occasions, the rap artist was seen showcasing Zion’s No. 12 Spartanburg Day School uniform.
Dedicated to Signing Autographs for Everyone
Zion recalls moments in his life when he was denied autographs from NBA stars like Anthony Davis and John Wall. Stung by the wave of disappointment that brought, Zion determined in his heart to try to sign every autograph he can in order to help his fans avoid the way he felt.