<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Zion-Williamson-Pelicans-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Zion Williamson gets painfully honest on latest bitter loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T23:04:30-07:00">April 20th, 11:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T23:04:30-07:00">April 20th, 11:04pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a heartbreaking loss on Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. After the game, star forward Zion Williamson was blunt in admitting his frustration for their failure to close it out.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/schedule">With less than 20 games left</a> and the Pelicans grasping for a spot in the play-in tournament, the Pelicans’ 134-129 loss against the short-handed Nets could be extra costly. Williamson said he’s getting tired of these types of defeats (via <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401307676">ESPN</a>).</p><blockquote>“I’m not going to lie, it does get kind of annoying to sit up here every other game saying we’re right there and we’re not closing out. So, I think we’ve got to focus on some of those small things. I say it over and over, but until we do it, some of those outcomes aren’t going to change.”</blockquote><p>Kyrie Irving was the lone superstar available of the powerhouse Nets squad. And so the Pelicans had the chance to squeeze out a victory. Williamson and company held their own and kept it close up until the fourth quarter. But Irving cut their hopes with a driving lay-up in the final minute to seal the win for the Nets.</p><p>Williamson finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in another losing effort. Zion Williamson’s stats have been impressive but the victories haven’t been coming as regularly as the Pelicans suffered their fourth loss in a row. They’re languishing in 11th place in the tight Western Conference.</p><p>With Williamson injured last season, the Pelicans fell short of making the NBA Playoffs. This year, it appears they have to go through an even more challenging hole.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zion Williamson gets painfully honest on latest bitter loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Zion-Williamson-gets-emotional-on-having-first-signature-shoe.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans star Zion Williamson gets emotional on his first signature shoe with Jordan Brand</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T20:39:18-07:00">April 20th, 8:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T20:39:18-07:00">April 20th, 8:39pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is officially getting his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-to-get-jordan-brand-signature-shoe/">first signature shoe</a> with Jordan Brand. The 20-year-old was asked to comment about this huge milestone in his career following Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, and Zion could not help but get emotional in discussing his journey.</p><p>Zion said that he has his family to thank for everything he has achieved in his career thus far (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/WillGuillory/status/1384707054942707714">Will Guillory</a> of The Athletic):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zion with a heartfelt response about the journey that led to his first signature shoe <a href="https://t.co/h6pdsnkAft" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/h6pdsnkAft</a></p><p>— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillGuillory/status/1384707054942707714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Williamson had to take a quick stroll down memory lane as he talked about how his family has played a key role in his development as a player:</p><blockquote>“It’s one of those things where I look at my mom, I look at my older brother, I look at my stepfather — especially my stepfather,” Williamson said. “I just kinda go to him and my mom and just say, ‘thank you.’ All those countless hours in the gym. All those dreams. All the wins, all the losses. Crazy journey, moving a lot. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. I’m forever grateful for that.”</blockquote><p>Zion also admitted that at one point, he almost gave up on basketball. Had it not been for the support of his family, he would not be where he is today.</p><p>That would have been an absolute shame as Zion Williamson is a generational talent that does not come very often. We also have to send our gratitude to the Williamson family for pushing this kid to become who he is today. Otherwise, we would have probably missed out on a player that appears to be well on his way to a Hall of Fame career.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans star Zion Williamson gets emotional on his first signature shoe with Jordan Brand

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Zion-Williamson-joins-Shaquille-O_Neal-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-in-another-insane-milestone.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans star Zion Williamson joins Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in another insane milestone</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T20:10:19-07:00">April 20th, 8:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T20:10:19-07:00">April 20th, 8:10pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Zion Williamson had another tremendous performance for the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. He led all scorers with 33 points on 14-of-19 shooting, en route to matching a long-standing NBA record.</p><p>Zion joins a trio of legends in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and David Robinson with his latest scoring feat (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1384699275452592130">ESPN Stats &amp; Info</a> on Twitter):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zion Williamson is the 4th player in NBA history with 10 or more 30-point games on 70% shooting within his first 2 seasons. The others are Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and David Robinson. <a href="https://t.co/DS4gZAe1XN" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/DS4gZAe1XN</a></p><p>— ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1384699275452592130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Aside from the fact that Zion joins three Hall of Famers in his recent achievement, it is also worth noting that all three of these legends are 7-foot centers. Williamson is listed at just 6-foot-7 and primarily operates as a power forward. You have to say, this is a very impressive feat from the 20-year-old.</p><p>Zion’s efficiency from the field speaks volumes of how dominant he is on the offensive end. Most of the time, it feels like the Pelicans star is able to score at will. You also have to consider that being one of the most high-profile players in the league today, Williamson plays with a target on his back. He’s always high on the priority list of opposing defenses, but he has somehow managed to overcome the challenges.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Pelicans, Zion’s historic evening came in a loss. New Orleans was unable to hold off a Kevin Durant- and James Harden-less Nets side, as they fell 134-129.</p><p>Williamson has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-beats-allen-iverson-trails-only-michael-jordan-for-new-nba-record/">tremendous</a> for the Pels this season, but it simply hasn’t been enough. They are currently four and a half games outside the playoffs picture in the Western Conference and each loss diminishes their postseason hopes this term.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans star Zion Williamson joins Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in another insane milestone

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Zion-Williamson-Pelicans-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans star Zion Williamson reveals brother’s huge influence on Jordan Zion 1 design</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-20T07:18:35-07:00">April 20th, 7:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-20T07:19:23-07:00">April 20th, 7:19am</time><address><a>Julian Fadullon</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has to be just about the most wholesome superstar on the planet.</p><p>Let’s sum up past young phenoms. Bird, Jordan, Kobe, Duncan, Garnett, Kareem, and LeBron were all business. Magic was glamorous, but there was a coolness to him. Ditto for Shaq. But the rise of Zion Williamson is one that is just peppered with the same family-friendly joy that you’d expect to see on a video about puppies making friends with other animals. And Jordan Brand’s newest signature athlete has kept his wholesome streak alive with his first signature shoe, the Jordan Zion 1. More specifically, he opened up about the inspiration for the shoe’s “Noah” colorway, named for his baby brother:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zion Williamson explains the “Noah” colorway of his Jordan Zion 1 — a tribute to his younger brother. <a href="https://t.co/xDwMm2ImTs" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/xDwMm2ImTs</a></p><p>— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickDePaula/status/1384493790996561921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This isn’t the first or even second time that Noah has designed a colorway for Jordan or his big brother. In the video, the Pelicans forward explains the story of how Noah was given a blank pair of Jordan 1 Low’s and some crayons to “design with” on the Williamsons’ first tour of the Nike/Jordan campus. Those scribbles and lines would influence Zion’s <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/video/teams/pelicans/2020/08/11/zion-williamson-jordan-brand-shoes-sneakers-noah-unite-new-orleans">signature colorway</a> of the Jordan 34, and now this colorway of the Zion 1.</p><p>Athletes have been known to draw upon their experience and family ties for inspiration both on and off the court, but with Williamson, it just feels a little closer to home, doesn’t it? Check out what Jordan Brand’s Kelsey Amy said about the design process with Williamson. Per <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/04/20/zion-williamson-jordan-brand-signature-sneaker-photos">Sports Illustrated</a>:</p><blockquote>“His family was always involved in the calls as well so it was a lot discussion between all of us…one of the moments where he came to life, he worked with his mom to put together a mood board with cut out images of Jordans he loves and quotes that have inspired him. It was really cool to see this little project for us. Like what athlete is willing to do that?”</blockquote><p>JB Footwear Product Director Jarrett Mann summed up Zion elegantly in the same article:</p><blockquote>“We are working with one of the most humbled athletes I think we have seen with the brand. His humility and down-to-earth manner were just refreshing to see and how he approached this entire process…”</blockquote><p>Here’s to you, Mr. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/zion-williamson-is-already-setting-the-stage-to-force-his-way-to-the-knicks/">Williamson</a>. You are one of the faces not just of the Pelicans but of the league in just your second year and have borne that weight with absolute humility. Not many can say that, and it’s a credit to you and your family. Congratulations on the signature line, and congrats to perhaps the youngest shoe designer in history. Noah might just have a career in fashion if he doesn’t follow in your footsteps.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans star Zion Williamson reveals brother’s huge influence on Jordan Zion 1 design

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Knicks-Zion-Williamson.jpg"></figure><h1>Zion Williamson already setting stage to force trade to Knicks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-19T08:20:36-07:00">April 19th, 8:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-19T12:32:07-07:00">April 19th, 12:32pm</time><address><a>Julian Fadullon</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://nypost.com/2021/04/18/zion-williamson-loves-msg-in-potential-knicks-intrigue/">This</a> has got to be tampering right? If not, it’s at least one of the most hopeful stories fans of the New York Knicks will be enjoying over the next few years. After Sunday’s tough overtime loss to Julius Randle &amp; Co., New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson was asked about his experience playing at Madison Square Garden. Check his full response here:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zion Williamson when asked about playing in MSG &amp; NY;</p><p>"I think outside of New Orleans, it's my favorite place to play basketball" 👀 <a href="https://t.co/4iLc8Mt8gZ" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/4iLc8Mt8gZ</a></p><p>— BenchWarmerPost🏀 (@BenchWarmerPost) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenchWarmerPost/status/1383896398450413571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 18, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Now, to be fair, Williamson might just be the most wholesome superstar of all time. He has all the honesty of Kobe Bryant, but with the unabashed pure joy of a younger Magic Johnson, so maybe we shouldn’t be reading into his statement too much. But it was less than three preseasons ago when New Yorkers were banking their entire future on getting ahold of the young phenom in the draft, only to have their hearts dashed by sliding in the draft order. To hear him say how much he loves playing in their city has to be immediately heartbreaking, and Williamson has got to know on some level that his words carry weight:</p><blockquote>“I’m glad you asked that,’’ Zion Williamson said, grinning. “New York is the mecca of basketball. I love playing here. I played here in college [at Duke]. This is my first time playing in the pros. This atmosphere, whether they’re cheering for you or booing you, it’s amazing. Outside of New Orleans, obviously, this might be my favorite place to play. I can’t lie to you.’’</blockquote><p>Now, for normal people, fans, and cities, this statement is obviously just a nice compliment, but you have to keep in mind that he isn’t talking about a normal city. He is talking about New York City, and there is magic to the place that makes  Madison Square Garden The Mecca of basketball. The city is like a magnet, and if you remember, almost every superstar has been linked to it at some point in their career, especially after the year 2000. And read that quote one more time: he liked being asked that question. Zion wanted to talk about New York and MSG. Woj’s take puts it best:</p><p> </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Woj speaks on Zion to New York <a href="https://t.co/RgsUoIvgEs" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/RgsUoIvgEs</a></p><p>— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) <a href="https://twitter.com/AhnFireDigital/status/1384149981670494212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>There is no way in hell Zion Williamson simply doesn’t know what his impact on the league would be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/new-york-knicks/roster">if he took his talents to New York</a>. He’s already one of the faces of the league in small-market New Orleans, and backing it up with his play as arguably the most unique physical specimen to ever play this game: a 6’6, nearly 300lb power forward averaging 26.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on a PER approaching 28. Of course, these numbers, while ridiculous, barely do justice for what this near-adolescent freak of nature can do on a basketball court. Williamson is only an inch taller than James Harden, nearly as heavy as a prime Shaquille O’Neal, and has the physicality of a prime Shawn Kemp.</p><p>Read that sentence again, go look up some of his highlights, and picture that walking dollar sign walking through the doors of Madison Square Garden in a Knicks jersey. The basketball world would implode. People would actually start wearing Knicks jerseys again. The team is good this season, for sure, but no one is buying Julius Randle jerseys outside of New York.</p><p>If not Zion Williamson himself, his team is definitely looking at this statement and salivating. The young face of the league playing in its biggest market, alongside a competently coached squad. By the way, make no mistake: this is a real possibility. New York currently has Zion’s best friend from college in RJ Barrett, and plenty of cap space to extend Barrett, keep Randle, and take Zion to boot. A big three led by Williamson would start an absolute riot in the streets of Manhattan, and if Zion is preciously unaware of that possibility, his team definitely is.</p><p>Pelicans brass should be circling 2023 in red ink and listing it as a doomsday, Y2K-level offseason. They will need to do everything they can to keep Zion Williamson happy in the bayou, not just for them, but for the entire NBA. Because the one thing the world doesn’t need is more Knicks fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zion Williamson already setting stage to force trade to Knicks

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Deandre Ayton

Hamidou Diallo

Marcus Morris

Zion Williamson

Jordan Bell

Jeff Green

Miles Bridges

Kawhi Leonard

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

1x All Star

2019-20 All-Rookie

New Orleans Pelicans

Career

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1384517631697461249/

So excited to show the world what we’ve been up to @jumpman23. 

The Zion 1. 

Let’s Dance! 

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1278385242672377857/

The Next Generation is here 💪🏾 Hyped to be on the cover of #NBA2K21 Next Gen @NBA2K 

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1271217519269994497/

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1237459331211132928/

Lot of respect for what @Gatorade is all about. I’m loving getting the chance to build with them alongside some of the best athletes out here.  Then. Now. Forever. #GatoradePartner https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1237459331211132928

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1228492236058497027/

Let’s do this Chicago 🔥 I’m stopping by @mountaindew Courtside Studios at 950 W Fulton St tomorrow at 11am, make sure to get here early to get in on the exclusive action all weekend long #DEWxNBAALLstar https://t.co/BdmQRlqt6E

https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1195369760478896129/

My newest card in @NBA2KMobile 🔥
Run with me and the rest of the rookie class now ➡️ https://t.co/NFd36he9n4 https://t.co/iYYi5CGTMX

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.8	7.2	3.7	0.7	0.9

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.8	7.2	3.7	0.7	0.9