During All-Star week in 2020, the two men. Before moving here several decades ago, he worked as an editor for the Modern Language Association in New York City. | Learn more about Jerome Williamson's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn They were remarkable. It's 292nd, hitting just 31.2 percent of its triples, which is a 6-percent drop from a season ago. Dr . The morning before Duke takes on North Dakota State in the opening round of the tournament, Spartanburg Day holds a pep rally to celebrate its famous alumnus. [132] In mid-December, it was announced that the injury was slow to heal and he would most likely be out another four to six weeks with a possible return to action around the all-star break. Mike Daum was sensational tonight, posting the nation's fourth 30-20 game of the season. I think UVA will win the rematch vs. Duke on Feb. 9. The Pelicans may not have had the season . New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, center, sits on the bench between guard Jose Alvarado, left, and forward Brandon Ingram during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game . Morant getting back to the NCAA Tournament would be a boon for Murray State -- and set the stage for an electric Cinderella candidate. I imagine that lining up against Zion Williamson on a basketball court must be absolutely terrifying. From just beyond midcourt Williamson darted toward . He referenced the one below in particular. Nor is he without athletic gifts. He was ranked as the number two basketball player in the high school class of 2018 by Scout.com. Students of all ages pour into the gym, where Williamson's most dazzling dunks play on a projector. Against Pitt on Tuesday night: 7-for-23 from deep. Zion's senior team at his high school has won three state championships. | Learn more about Warren Williamson's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile . A few minutes later, he answers it again. He was a once-in-a-lifetime combination of an offensive lineman's size and. [136], On October 19, Williamson made his regular season return, putting up 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals in a 130108 win over the Brooklyn Nets. "He's brilliant sunshine. He recently projected Williamson as the No. [52] By the end of his sophomore season, he received offers from 16 NCAA Division I programs, including Clemson, Florida, and South Carolina, but was not planning on making a decision until his senior year. Believe it or not, the kid took on the challenge of guarding the eventual Duke and Pelicans star. 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. [8] As a freshman, Williamson averaged 24.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks, earning All-State and All-Region honors. The family was introduced to the school when Williamson's stepfather, who played hoops at Clemson, met Spartanburg Day's coach, Lee Sartor, through the AAU circuit. So, we had to ask: what was it like coaching Zion Williamson in high school? It feels like dude has been 6'8, 285 since birth. He set the single-game school scoring record for freshmen in January 2019, claimed ACC Rookie of the Week accolades five times, earned AP Player of the Year, Sporting News College Player of the Year recognition, and won the Wayman Tisdale Award. [109] After the New Orleans Pelicans won the 2019 NBA draft lottery, Williamson's stepfather Lee Anderson said they were excited about him potentially playing in New Orleans and dismissed rumors that he would return to Duke for a second year, saying, "As far as returning to Duke, that's not something we've even considered. [37] While recovering, he commented, "It's really been a time to grow mentally. The two have remained friends. ", WILLIAMSON SPENT HIS childhood in Florence, South Carolina, but his years in Spartanburg left an indelible image on the former textile town. That said, being such a star makes one vulnerable to a broken relationship. Zion hit his on the backboard during a Duke game in 2018. . [51] In the summer of 2015, Williamson emerged with the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as one of the top players in his class. 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). What Happened to Zion Williamson's Old Teammate Chandler Lindsey?? At this point, it's a wonder to many how a talent like Morant wound up in Murray, Ky. [66] In the game, he and teammate RJ Barrett each broke the Duke freshman debut scoring record set by Marvin Bagley III. ", Pell laughs. [3] Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5ft 9in (1.75m) to 6ft 3in (1.91m). For services to higher education and the interior design industry. 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. "[110], On June 20, 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans drafted Williamson with the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are going from being former AAU teammates to likely the top two picks in the 2019 NBA draft. Alex O'Connell is Duke's most accurate 3-point shooter (37 percent), but he only plays 13 minutes per game. [94] He additionally made the ACC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams. Buzzer. Morant and Williamson couldn't have had a more disparate paths to get to this point. Standing a little over 6-foot-3, Asa Waters isn't exactly tiny. [139] On December 12, Williamson was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 8 (December 511), his first NBA Player of the Week award. Williamson also left high school as a McDonald's All-American, runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA, and USA Today All-USA first team honoree. 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. [165], Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, to Lateef Williamson and Sharonda Sampson. It's also where the Carolina Panthers train; a couple of summers ago, several NFL players paused their workouts to gawk at Williamson as he practiced in the gym. [90][91][92] He was held out from his team's final six games in the regular season. 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. Moreover, he was included in the All-USA first team by USA . Williamson also left high school as a McDonald's All-American, runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA, and USA Today All-USA first team honoree. Kane is surprised to see this lanky kid dominating in three-on-three. Family Life. "It helped me bond with kids I probably wouldn't have bonded with if I didn't go to that school. 260 10K views 2 years ago Most of you who watched Zion Williamson dominate the high school ranks probably remember his point guard running mate, Chandler Lindsey. [114] Williamson tore his meniscus on October 13, 2019, during the preseason of his rookie campaign. [22] On December 30, Williamson recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds to win most valuable player (MVP) at the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic. "When one Griffin is doing something special -- out of the ordinary -- we celebrate him," she says as a couple of cheerleaders raise posters with "Go Zion" scribbled on the front in a bubbly font. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegebasketball | pageType: stories | Here, he calls a flip of pin-down action and improvises, sending the 4 to the rim + easily lobbing it in from 25 feet out with his off hand. [155] His physical attributes have drawn comparisons to former NBA stars Charles Barkley, Anthony Mason, and Larry Johnson. [4] He competed in youth leagues with his mother Sharonda Sampson coaching and played for the Sumter Falcons on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, facing opponents four years older than him. We were playing a game at Morehead State. It was a notable tournament in Greensboro, N.C., that sent the two on forking paths. All of those teams intrinsically have entertaining guys to watch. [103] On March 24, Williamson erupted for 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 7776 second round victory over UCF. There's Wofford College, the first school to offer him a scholarship. "He was shy about that," Pell says, quickly adding: "He wasn't the only one." [13] In August, he won the Under Armour Elite 24 showcase dunk contest in New York City. [98] Williamson also became the first Duke player to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game since Christian Laettner in 1992. 1 pick? [23] On January 15, 2017, he received nationwide publicity after rapper Drake wore his jersey in an Instagram post. His parents are Lateef Williamson and Sharonda Sampson. Murray State sophomore point guard Ja Morant's rise in the past month is unlike anything mid-major college basketball has seen in a long time. Experienced Information Technology Support Analyst with a demonstrated history of working in the IT industry. In a freaky coincidence, South Dakota State's Mike Daum and Campbell's Chris Clemons started the season at 2,232 apiece. [161] Williamson's outside shooting has been considered a point of concern, and he has unorthodox shot mechanics. During his senior and final high school season, Zion Williamson committed to Duke on January 20, 2018 in a live ESPN telecast. He has been in a relationship with his high school sweetheart, Tiana White. Despite his weight issues, there was no doubt about Williamson going in as the 1st pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. [101], For the 2019 NCAA tournament, official broadcast partner CBS specifically devoted a cameracalled the "Zion Cam"to record Williamson throughout the tournament. Watch this video from ONE GAME and drool", "John Wall: Zion Williamson Is Top 23 'Most Athletic Player I've Ever Seen', "YouTube star Zion Williamson creates challenge for evaluators", "Zion Williamson Scouting: How does the freakishly athletic HS forward project to the NBA? ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. 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. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020. He plays the power forward position. 1, Top 25 And 1: Miami loses Wong to NBA Draft, NBA Mock Draft: Bama's Miller up to No. And now they seem fated to meet up again in the green room at the 2019 NBA Draft -- their names called only moments apart by Adam Silver. And now, Clemons sits at 2,757; Daum has 2,740. In middle school, Williamson was a point guard and lost only three games in two years. In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. 8 UNC routs No. Beater. Sometimes, he adds, people ask him for his former classmate's number. Then all he did was write poems and the deeper we got into the year, the more complicated and sophisticated they became. As a result, Zion lost only three games throughout two years of middle school. Heads and behaviour leads from some of England's highest performing schools and Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) have today been confirmed as mentors and trainers in the Department's . But he saved one piece of writing that he feels comfortable sharing because it was read aloud at a school event. 10:45 am ET, he made our preseason list of the top 101 players in the sport, Former Notre Dame coach Brey to join NBA's Hawks staff, Top 25 And 1: Miami, Baylor lose stars to NBA Draft, Tennessee extends Kellie Harper through 2027-28 season, Ranking college basketball's top transfers of 2023, Memphis signee Mikey Williams arrested on gun charges, Top 25 And 1: Sanogo turns pro, UConn is still No. [144] On February 13, team officials indicated that Williamson would miss multiple weeks after the All-Star break. Morant thrived in obscurity until just a few. Reaching 3,000 is such a rarity, yet here we have two guys ready to do it in the same season and within less than two weeks of each other. [56] In December 2016, ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi touted Williamson as "probably the best player in terms of production" in his class. Zion was known to be together with his high school girlfriend Tiana White, although some reports have claimed that the pair is no longer together. I think Virginia will get a No. [15] Entering the season, he was among 50 players selected to the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award watch list. Zion Williamson introduced himself to the world when he was just a teenager. [146] Subsequently, Williamson sat out the Pelicans appearance in their play-in game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which New Orleans lost, effectively ending their season. I do think this is the best team Bennett has ever had. Sitting inside the gym, with its 1,000-person capacity, it's hard to imagine the larger-than-life Williamson rumbling down the court. Williamson, for his part, quickly developed a reputation as an unselfish player -- a characteristic, says Bui, that dates back to his high school days. [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. But whether or not the Racers are dancers in 2019, Morant's star quality seems set to grow exponentially from now until the moment his name is called in the NBA Draft. [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. [97] He shot 13-of-13 from the field, marking the best shooting performance in school and tournament history, while tying the best in ACC history. "[38] Williamson made his return from the injury on January 11, 2018, scoring 31 points in a 7162 victory over Asheville Christian Academy. The man had the biggest hype for a high school player since LeBron James. "I don't have it!". "As my high school journey ends, I wish you could go with me," he wrote. As cameras and tape recorders are thrust in front of his face, he patiently answers a question about dunking on Tacko Fall, the 7'6 star of Duke's next opponent, UCF. Wofford? [75] On January 21, Williamson collected his third ACC Freshman of the Week accolades. [150][151] NBA player Kevin Durant described him as a "once-in-a-generation type athlete" while an anonymous college basketball coach labeled him a "freak of nature. 2 Duke beats NC State, 94-78", "Duke's Williamson sweeps ACC weekly honors", "Zion Williamson felled by faulty Nike as North Carolina blast top-ranked Duke", "Duke star Zion Williamson considered 'day-to-day' with a knee sprain", "With Zion injured, No. [80] He had his third 30-point game of the season on February 16, scoring 32 points in a 9478 victory over NC State. Zion was the first pick of the draft. As Williamson was set to enter his senior season of high school, according to sources, some within the brand had discussed having Williamson debut the Harden Vol. "It was the first time I sat at a basketball game in four years. NOW THAT HE'S officially headed to the NBA, Zion Williamson will enter the draft as the most talked about prospect in recent history, but we really don't know very much about him. [4] He joined the basketball team at Johnakin Middle School in Marion, South Carolina, where he was again coached by his mother and averaged 20 points per game. 2 sneaker even before Harden, who . [5][166] By the time he was five years old, his parents divorced, and his mother subsequently married Lee Anderson, a former Clemson college basketball player. "He's really nice," Patel says. Sartor agrees. They both jumped so high that they hit their heads during games. In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. Kane showed up on a Wednesday in Spartanburg for a ragtag AAU combine of sorts. "[158] Williamson, who is left-handed, is almost ambidextrous. "There are some things you can shape and do for a child," she says. "He was definitely better than a lot of the kids from a basketball IQ perspective," he says. This dynamic produced a paradox: The buzziest prospect in years was, in hindsight, underrated. If so what would they need to do to get there and do you think they can? "Zion was always a mild-mannered kid, never showed much expression," Tee Morant, Ja's father, told CBS Sports. section: | slug: court-report-the-real-story-of-ja-morant-zion-williamson-playing-on-the-same-aau-team | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | [4][5], On July 23, 2019, Williamson signed a five-year, $75 million shoe deal with Jordan brand. 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. The video shows a 5-foot-6 guard checking into one of Zion's high school games. [36] In the game, Williamson bruised his left foot, which sidelined him for over a month. "[59] Duke, who had landed RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish in addition to Williamson, became the first team to land the top three recruits in a class since modern recruiting rankings began. The streak eventually grew to 25 consecutive games, surpassing Hall-of-Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone[127][128] while tying Shaquille O'Neal's record of 25 consecutive such games,[129] with no other player having had a longer streak since the three-point era in 1980; his streak of 20-points games on 50-percent shooting and attempt to surpass O'Neal's record ended in a 139111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on April 7. Born on 6-7-2000, Zion Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. Williamson, for his part, quickly developed a reputation as an unselfish player -- a characteristic, says Bui, that dates back to his high school days. The writing, clear and artful, conveys a level of earnestness that echoes Pell's description of his former student's poetry. "He called me and said, 'This kid's going to be a pro.'". At each player's respective pace, Clemons (29.2 points per game) should hit 3K on Feb. 21 in Campbell's home game vs. High Point. By the middle of Williamson's junior year, after he scored 53 in the Chick-fil-A Classic in Columbia against top prospect Jalek Felton, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound teenager was a media sensation. Is this the best team Tony Bennett has had at UVA? Morant thrived in obscurity until just a few weeks ago. Sartor remembers sending a video of one of Williamson's early in-game yams to ESPN, then marveling at the ripple effect. Major achievements NBA All-Star (2021) Career highlights and awards NBA All-Rookie First Team (2020) Consensus National College Player of the Year (2019) Consensus first-team All-American (2019) "There are sunshine people and cloudy people," Krzyzewski says. Williamson broke the state record for most 30-point games in a season, with 27 by the end of the regular season. It helped me become a more social person.". [34] He debuted on November 15, 2017, erupting for 46 points and 15 rebounds in a 7062 loss to Christ School. Some of his old teammates are scattered in the bleachers. New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) watches the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of the first Play-In game at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans,. [106] He shot 68% from the field, which led the ACC, ranked second in the NCAA Division I, and was the highest ever field goal percentage by a freshman. In high school, he drew national attention for his slam dunks . [77] By recording nine 25-point games in the season, Williamson set a new Duke freshman record. Twelve? Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. Zion Williamson combines strength, athleticism and intelligence in an awesome package. He recalls an instance when a college coach visited before a game; Williamson was sitting with his teammates in the stands. "[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. At first, team officials were hopeful that he would be ready to return by the end of January. "Sometimes you'd have to tell him: 'You just need to take over the game.'". Being a star athlete, Zion Williamson is quite a in demand. As a freshman, Williamson played point guard, honing the playmaking skills that surprised national audiences this season. So he asks an event organizer where he can get some concession-stand food. Years from now, if the likely No. [107][108] In addition, Williamson joined Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis as the only freshmen to collect 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season. [82], In a February 20 game versus North Carolina, Williamson suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain 36 seconds into the contest after his foot ripped through his Nike shoe, causing him to slip. Zion threw down a few dunks during his. [4] By 2018, most recruiting experts predicted that he would play for Clemson. "[People say], 'Well, I didn't know he could do that,'" he says. He had hops, but he didn't have the hops that he possesses now.". So, he knows what the $194 million contract-bound Zion Williamson has already got without playing one complete season since his draft. In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. [138] On December 9, Zion put up a then season-high 35 points, along with seven rebounds, four steals, and one block in a 126117 win against the Phoenix Suns. Kane was smitten and dumbfounded: Why is this kid not playing in the main gym, and who the hell is he? Zion Williamson PF #1 Current Team: New Orleans Pelicans Born: Jul 6, 2000 (22 years old) Birthplace/Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina Nationality: United States Height: 6-6 (198cm) Weight: 284 (129kg) @ZionW32 Current NBA Status: Under Contract (New Orleans Pelicans) Free Agent: UFA-2028 Agent: Austin Brown Draft Entry: 2019 NBA Draft ", "The real story of Ja Morant and Zion Williamson playing on the same AAU team", "Eight area players ready for SCISA North-South All-Star games", "Zion Williamson picks up offer from South Carolina", "Zion Williamson leading NBA Top 100 Camp in scoring", "Zion Williamson Wins the 2016 Elite 24 Dunk Contest", "Slam Dunk: Zion Williamson repeats as Player of the Year", "Jalek Felton, Christian Brown on Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year watch list", "Zion Williamson's newfound fame has grown his social media following substantially", "Zion Williamson Drops 42 & 13 in Season Debut", "Steph Curry Is Impressed By High School Hoops Prospect Zion Williamson And You Should Be, Too", "Five-Star Junior Prospect Zion Williamson Drops 50 Points", "Zion Williamson's Monster 50-Point Performance Steals ToC Show", "Spartanburg Day's Zion Williamson has record night in tourney opener", "Newton tops Spartanburg Day; Zion Williamson named MVP", "Zion Williamson's No. Morant was a known talent, sure -- he made our preseason list of the top 101 players in the sport -- but his profile has gone stratospheric in a way that almost never happens with sophomores dominating mid-major opponents. 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? And what else? [10] In his sophomore season, Williamson averaged 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and 2.7 steals per game and was named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year. First-round winners/losers At the end of the school year, some of the senior athletes wrote letters to their teachers. Pell slips the letter back into his folder gingerly, as if it were made of glass. [134], On July 6, 2022, Williamson signed a 5-year rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans worth $193 million guaranteed, increasing to $231 million if he makes an All-NBA team in the 20222023 season. "He'd give them to me -- he was very cautious," Pell says. There's a goodness about him that I think people want to celebrate.". 7 April 2021. Now the Racers (15-2), who made the NCAA Tournament last season, have a huge matchup against Belmont (13-4) on Thursday. [125] On March 21, 2021, Williamson scored 30 points and 6 rebounds in a 113108 win over the Denver Nuggets. And that is the crazy story in all of this, because it was a most incredible kind of accident. Height: 6'7 ft ( 201 cm ) Weight: 284 lb (129 kg) Relationship: single Birth Sign: Cancer Chinese zodiac: Dragon Links: Contents: Childhood First steps Career development Zion Williamson's personal life During his only season at Duke, he averaged 22.6 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Zion Williams net worth updates suggest that the star Zion Williamson had made an $8 million fortune. "He was recruited.". Pick-by-pick analysis Zion Williamson: Net Worth According to Forbes, Zion Williamson is ranked 57th among the world's highest-paid athletes and currently has a net worth of $27.3 million. [10] In March 2015, Williamson took part in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game in Sumter, South Carolina. Lob your question my way on Twitter. That January, Drake posted a photograph of himself wearing a Spartanburg Day jersey; Williamson's Instagram following exploded. [79] After two days, Williamson was named ACC Freshman of the Week on his fourth occasion, while earning National Player of the Week distinction from the Naismith Trophy. Do @ me. Zion Williamson should take notes. [27][28][29] On April 22, 2017, Williamson recorded 26 points and 7 rebounds for his AAU team SC Supreme in a loss to highly touted recruit Romeo Langford and Twenty Two Vision at an Adidas Gauntlet tournament. As Morant's star has risen, along with his position into the top five on NBA mock drafts, he's developed some fables around his time before Murray State. Here's how he might fit in some possible destinations. Zion Williamson High School Mixtape 27,621 views Jun 12, 2019 Zion Williamson in High School. Within a few months, Morant would commit to Murray State, doing so in McMahon's home and surprising the staff and players in the process. From there, he threw downanother obscene dunk last week and, most recently, posted a 40-point, 11-assist, five-steal showingthat marked the first time in 20 years that a Division I player put up those stats in a regulation game. At the beginning, Williamson thanks his teacher for pushing him to grow outside of basketball. [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. "The narrative hasn't been told correctly," Murray State coach Matt McMahon told me this week. This is Morant deploying legerdemain and pulling one over on the defense. 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