As one of the only freshmen to ever win the Naismith Award and one of the most recognizable college basketball players of all time, the hype train surrounding Zion Williamson keeps steaming forward.
Williamson, who declared for the 2019 NBA Draft in an Instagram post on Monday, has been the presumptive No. 1 overall pick for months now, and his stock has only risen since the NCAA Tournament.
Executives around the league are likely thirsting for the draft to chance Williamson, who has one of the most unique combinations of size, strength and sheer athleticism that the basketball world has ever seen.
In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Los Angeles Clippers executive and former Lakers general manager Jerry West said that passing on Zion would be equivalent to passing on Michael Jordan:
“I think it depends on the team, but I don’t know how you could pass Zion Williamson, I really don’t,” West said when asked who should be the number one pick. “It would be like passing Michael Jordan in the draft.”
West, who was instrumental in building the Lakers dynasty of the early 2000s and also played an instrumental role in the Golden State Warriors drafting both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, went on to describe what makes Williamson so special:
“I’ve never seen a body, that quick, react the way it does. He has got incredible balance,” West said. “Everyone now will be on the edge of their seats to watch him play, to see what he’s going to do next…. His game is going to work very well in today’s modern NBA game.”
West had previously indicated that he believed Murray State point guard Ja Morant is the best player in the upcoming Draft, but clearly recognizes Zion's special talent.
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