LeBron James opted against advising him, and Kobe Bryant believes he should finish out the season. On Thursday, yet another NBA superstar was asked for his two cents on the situation revolving around Duke superstar Zion Williamson. What would Giannis Antetokounmpo do if he was in the presumptive number one overall pick's position?
Giannis wouldn’t sit out if he was in Zion’s position: “I love basketball too much,” per @TMZ_Sports pic.twitter.com/kn5luHSVoq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 1, 2019
Duh.
Antetokounmpo might be the most unabashedly competitive among the league's newest generation of marquee players. He never engages in friendly chat on the court, routinely mean mugs opponents in games regardless of their caliber, and even takes his competitiveness to the maniacal level of refusing to workout with esteemed opposing players – like James, for instance – over the offseason. Antetokounmpo doesn't yet have the reputation of an old-school killer like Bryant or Michael Jordan, but he indeed seems like the player most likely to pick up their increasingly fading mantle.
Williamson, of course, is another candidate. Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the 18 year old's game is that he plays with unrelenting edge and intensity, routinely diving on the floor for loose balls, sprinting back in transition, and taking as much pride in defense as he does the other side of the ball. Most preternaturally gifted behemoths are comfortable taking a play or two off; not Williamson.
But that competitive fire shouldn't factor into his decision whether or not to finish the season with Duke in wake of a scary knee injury that's cost him the last two games. All indications are that Williamson will return to the floor when healthy, and that's probably the route he wants to take, too. His long-term future is far more important than the next few weeks, though, leading some to believe he should sit out the season's remainder rather than risk further injury.
Antetokounmpo, unsurprisingly, isn't among them.
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