The likely first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is back. Duke star Zion Williamson is scheduled to play in Thursday night's game Syracuse. He couldn't have returned at a better time, as the game is Duke's first in the ACC Tournament.
Williamson missed the last five games of the season with a knee injury. The injury was suffered on the opening possession of the team's Feb. 20 matchup against rival UNC. Only 30 seconds into the game, Williamson's shoe blew out on him, causing him to slip and fall.
The shoe, Nike's PG 2.5 model, sparked an instant controversy. Nike's stock fell significantly in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and many began to wonder if Williamson would continue to represent the brand when he returned to the court. After all, their shoe did threaten his draft stock, if not his entire career.
Williamson added to the speculation when he went live on Instagram last week wearing a full Adidas tracksuit. But on Thursday, the team revealed that the star freshman will continue to wear Nikes, albeit a different model:
Lace ’em up #DukeKicks 😈 @KyrieIrving @ZionW32 pic.twitter.com/1NAmuAZG3q
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 14, 2019
It appears that Williamson has traded out his Paul George 2.5s for a more durable shoe in the Kyrie Irving 4s. The change isn't a surprise given the absolute last thing he wants is a repeat of the last sneaker incident.
Zion Williamson has been phenomenal this season for Duke. The rookie forward averaged 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the regular season, shooting 68.3 percent from the field. His health and performance will be crucial to the success of Duke in both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.
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