Zion Williamson became popular back in 2018 because of his high school league dunk videos. People always said he couldn’t do the same thing in the NCAA and then the NBA. Only Zion would get on the court and put on a cool performance.
We’ve compiled 5 interesting facts that might surprise you. Read the article to the end!
Zion tries to give everyone an autograph because he’s been turned down
Zion is a great guy not only on the floor, but off the floor as well. When Williamson was a kid, he wanted the autographs of Anthony Davis and John Wall, to which he was turned down on both occasions. Since then, he’s tried to make sure every kid gets his coveted signature, no matter how long it takes, because he doesn’t want his fans to feel the same way he did as a kid.
Nike’s stock plunged $1 billion after his sneaker tore
Zion is not a little boy and may need a custom shoe model to withstand all his 129 pounds, but playing for Duke, he wore Nike sneakers. After Williamson’s sneaker failed in a tense standoff against North Carolina and literally broke in half, Nike stock instantly plummeted by $1 billion. Who would have thought that a college basketball player playing for a college could have such an impact on a global company.
Zion is the second hardest player in the NBA
The league’s current No. 1 ranking is held by Dallas’ Serbian player Boban Marjanovic, who at 221 cm. weighs 132 kg. After officially becoming a New Orleans player, Zion moved into second place on the list of heavyweights. Williamson weighs 129 kilograms, while he is 201 cm tall. It is worth noting that Zayon is only 3 kilograms away from the first place, but he is 20 centimeters tall.
He holds the record for the highest jump in Duke history.
Not a few famous players entered the NBA after playing for the Duke Blue Devils. Kyrie Irving, Jason Tatum, Austin Rivers, Bradnon Ingram, those guys are all from there. Many of them are as tall as Zion, and some are taller than that 201 cm. However, it was Williamson who set the Duke jump record, after he touched the maximum mark of 45 inches (115 cm).
The University of Louisiana soccer team wanted him
Louisiana head soccer coach Eric Mateos was so impressed with Williamson’s high school league dunks that he personally called the basketball player and offered him a scholarship. It is noted that Zion’s head coach may not have even known about the offer.
Mateos himself commented on the situation, “I thought, why not give it a try. What if it’s the best tight end (position in American soccer) in history. I was told to look for the best athletes in the country, which I did.