Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce came out with an eye-catching statement on Sunday pertaining to Duke standout Zion Williamson. According to Pierce, he already considers Zion to be a top player not only in college, but in the world of basketball altogether:

This is a rather contentious statement, but in truth, it's hard to argue against Pierce here.

On Sunday, Williamson led Duke to a 77-76 victory against UCF to book their place in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Zion was every bit as advertised in this one, putting up one of his best performances of the season with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

Williamson is the consensus first overall pick in the upcoming draft, and several NBA teams have already been engaged in a race to get the 18-year-old phenom.

The New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers are the current favorites to land the Duke star. Zion himself has repeatedly voiced his admiration for the Knicks, and claimed on several occasions that it would be an honor for him to dawn New York's colors.

The Knicks cleared a ton of cap space over the trade deadline, which will allow them to sign one or two max contracts in the summer. Should they be able to secure the services of Williamson, the emergence of a new Big 3 in New York just might be on the horizon.