Zion Williamson: Difference between revisions
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Williamson was part of three championship teams, winning the title with the Mavericks in 2029, 2030, and 2033. Williamson split the Finals MVP awards with his fellow Big Three members; Smith Jr. won in 2029, Porter Jr. won in 2030, and Williamson won in 2033. |
Williamson was part of three championship teams, winning the title with the Mavericks in 2029, 2030, and 2033. Williamson split the Finals MVP awards with his fellow Big Three members; Smith Jr. won in 2029, Porter Jr. won in 2030, and Williamson won in 2033. |
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=== [[Seattle SuperSonics]] (2037-2038) === |
=== [[Seattle SuperSonics]] (2037-2038) === |
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Williamson signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2037, playing one season with them in which he helped the team make the 2038 NBA Finals, a series the SuperSonics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Williamson retired afterwards, finishing at 12th place on the all-time scoring list, just ahead of fellow Mavericks [[Dirk Nowitzki]] at |
Williamson signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2037, playing one season with them in which he helped the team make the 2038 NBA Finals, a series the SuperSonics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Williamson retired afterwards, finishing at 12th place on the all-time scoring list, just ahead of fellow Mavericks [[Dirk Nowitzki]] at 14th and [[Michael Porter Jr.]] at 19th. |
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== Player profile == |
== Player profile == |
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Revision as of 01:00, 5 June 2018
| No. 12 – Duke Blue Devils | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| League | ACC |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 16, 2000[1] Salisbury, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8[2] in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 272[2] lb (123 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, South Carolina) |
| College | Duke (committed) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Zion Williamson (born July 7, 2000) is an American high school basketball player who attended Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A senior forward with the Griffins, he has been ranked among the top high school players of his class and was named McDonald's All-American in 2018. Williamson gained national recognition in high school for his slam dunks and has received several offers from major NCAA Division I programs. On January 20, 2018, Williamson announced that he will play for Duke joining the number 1 and 3 recruits in the country, R.J. Barrett and Cameron Reddish.
Early life
Williamson was born July 7, 2000, in Salisbury, North Carolina.[3] He was named after Mount Zion, which appears in the Bible.[4] His father Lateef Williamson was a defensive lineman who had earned All-American honors at Mayo High School in Darlington, South Carolina. Lateef had committed to NC State before transferring to Livingstone College.[3][5] Zion's mother Sharonda Sampson was a sprinter at Livingstone and became a middle school health and physical education teacher. When Zion was two years of age, following the death of Sampson's mother, his family moved to Florence, South Carolina.[3][5] By the time he was five years old, his parents divorced, and Sampson married former Clemson basketball player Lee Anderson.[5][6]
In his childhood, Williamson played multiple sports including soccer and football.[4] At five years of age, Williamson first planned on becoming a standout college basketball player.[6] He played in many youth leagues with his mother as his coach.[5] He began working with Lee Anderson to improve his skills as a point guard.[6] At age five, Williamson competed with nine-year-olds on the Sumter Falcons Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team.[6] He played basketball at Johnakin Middle School in Marion, South Carolina, coached by his mother, and averaged 20 points per game.[6]
High school career
Shortly before the ninth grade, Williamson enrolled at Spartanburg Day School, a small K–12 private school in Spartanburg, South Carolina.[4] Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).[5] In the summer prior to his first basketball season, he trained in the school gym and developed the ability to dunk.[7] As a freshman for the Griffins, Williamson averaged 24.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks and earned all-state and all-region honors.[4][8][9] As a sophomore he helped lead his team to win the state championship, where he scored 32 points.[10][11] As a junior he averaged 36.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per game and led his team to their second straight state championship, where he scored 51 points.[12][13][14][15]
Williamson gained national notoriety after a series of mixtapes showcasing his athletic ability, dominating style and flashy dunks went viral. Since, Williamson has garnered attention from the national media, including an interview on ESPN's SportsCenter.[16]
Recruiting
Williamson is rated as a five-star recruit and is one of the highest ranked players in the 2018 class. He received his first college offer as a high school freshman to play for Wofford.[17] In June 2015, in his sophomore year, he received an offer to Clemson.[18] Stephen K. Benjamin, mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, tweeted that he was willing to officially name the date "Zion Williamson Day."[19] Zion committed to Duke University on January 20, 2018.[20] Williamson joins the top recruiting class in the country, with the number 1, 3, 10, and now #2 recruits. This resulted in the first time in NCAA history where the top 3 recruits all go to the same university.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Williamson PF |
Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg Day School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Jan 20, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 3 247Sports: 3, 3 (SF), 1 (SC) ESPN: 2, 1 (PF), 1 (SC) | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
NBA career
Dallas Mavericks (2019-2037)
The Dallas Mavericks selected Williamson with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. On his debut on October 15, 2019, Williamson scored 20 points, collected 5 rebounds, and made 3 assists. He scored a season-high 36 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 31, 2020. Together with Dennis Smith Jr. and Michael Porter Jr., who the Mavericks selected with the 9th and 5th picks in 2017 and 2018 respectively, Williamson led the Mavericks to an appearance in the playoffs as the 6th seed, finishing with a 48-34 record.
Williamson averaged 21.4 points in the regular season and 25.5 points in the Mavericks' six-game series against the New Orleans Pelicans, which they lost 4-2. For his efforts in the regular season and playoffs, Williamson was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for 2020 and was also named to the All-Rookie First Team.
Williamson formed a "Big Three" with Porter Jr. and Smith Jr. throughout their time on the Mavericks. Williamson was named an All-Star from 2024 to 2035, leading the Mavericks to eighteen consecutive playoff appearances (2020 to 2037, after which Smith Jr. and Porter Jr. retired). Williamson won the MVP award in 2028 after averaging 28.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, leading the Mavericks to the first seed with a 59-23 record and a finals berth.
Williamson was part of three championship teams, winning the title with the Mavericks in 2029, 2030, and 2033. Williamson split the Finals MVP awards with his fellow Big Three members; Smith Jr. won in 2029, Porter Jr. won in 2030, and Williamson won in 2033.
Seattle SuperSonics (2037-2038)
Williamson signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2037, playing one season with them in which he helped the team make the 2038 NBA Finals, a series the SuperSonics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Williamson retired afterwards, finishing at 12th place on the all-time scoring list, just ahead of fellow Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki at 14th and Michael Porter Jr. at 19th.
Player profile
Williamson has been praised by scouts for his outstanding strength and athleticism and has drawn attention for his slam dunking ability.[21] Although considered a forward, he is described as not fitting any specific basketball positions.[22] Williamson's game has most notably been likened to that of LeBron James, although he has often been compared with Julius Randle as well.[22][23] Basketball coach Roy Williams reportedly told him that he was the best player he had seen since Michael Jordan.[24] Williamson is left-handed.[22]
References
- ^ "Zion Williamson". NBADraft.net. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
- ^ a b "Zion Williamson - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
- ^ a b c Wertz, Jr., Langston (November 5, 2016). "One of nation's top basketball recruits resides in Spartanburg, says Coach K offered scholarship". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Bezjak, Lou (October 1, 2016). "Williamson drawing attention as one of 2018's finest". The State. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Fowler, Scott (February 16, 2017). "The legend of basketball phenom Zion Williamson". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Jordan, Jason (December 23, 2016). "Chick-fil-A Classic: Zion Williamson is taking the country by storm". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=(help) - ^ Babb, Kent (April 8, 2017). "Zion Williamson, 16, might be the best dunker on the Internet. And what else?". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
- ^ "2015 Boys Basketball All-Area Team". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. April 5, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
- ^ Is SC dunking phenom Zion Williamson basketball's next LeBron James?
- ^ One of nation’s top basketball recruits resides in Spartanburg, says Coach K offered scholarship
- ^ The legend of Zion: What it’s like to be a celebrity at 16
- ^ "Zion Williamson scored 51 points in a championship game and had another jaw-dropping dunk". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
- ^ Calipari offers scholarship to high school basketball sensation Zion Williamson
- ^ Superstar recruit Zion Williamson returning to play in Midlands
- ^ Zion Williamson scores 51 as Spartanburg Day earns repeat
- ^ IDMD WORLDWIDE MUSIC (2017-03-09), Zion Williamson Full Sportcenter Interview, retrieved 2017-04-04
- ^ Fowler, Scott (February 16, 2017). "Basketball star Zion Williamson: 'Wide open' on recruiting, including ... Wofford?". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ Crumpton, Tony (June 25, 2015). "Clemson offers in-state forward". TigerNet.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=(help) - ^ Roberts, Ben (January 12, 2018). "South Carolina mayor declares Jan. 20 to be 'Zion Williamson Day' in Columbia". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ "High-flying Zion Williamson, No. 2 in ESPN 100, commits to Duke". ESPN.com. January 20, 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Applebome, Julian (August 25, 2016). "Five standout performers from the 2016 Under Armour Elite 24". DraftExpress.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=(help) - ^ a b c Bossi, Eric (April 18, 2016). "Adidas Gauntlet: Feeding frenzy for five-star Langford". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=(help) - ^ Johnson, Chris (August 14, 2017). "Zion Williamson Vs. LeBron James: Why the Comparisons Need to Stop". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ Fowler, Scott (February 16, 2017). "Is SC dunking phenom Zion Williamson basketball's next LeBron James?". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2018.