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Zion Williamson's mother, Sharonda Sampson, certainly knows best — as she instructed the New Orleans Pelicans rookie to study the All-Time greats to reach his full potential.
At the top of that list, of course, is the NBA's GOAT Michael Jordan. Per ESPN, the matriarch of the Williamson household asked Zion to closely monitor tapes of Hall of Famers Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson.
When Zion Williamson was growing up, his mother told him to watch film of three players: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/CFFfb8CzFs
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2020
Williamson, 19, wasn't even born yet at the height of these three superstars' dominance in the '80s and '90s.
The high-flying freshman out of Duke admitted he now has a better understanding of Jordan's greatness after watching the first four episodes of ESPN's documentary “The Last Dance”.
The ongoing 10-part docu-series chronicles the Bulls' dominance throughout the '90s.
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Williamson, a 6-foot-6 athletic wonder, was the consensus number one pick of last year's draft and one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory.
Like Williamson, Jordan was also a blue-chip recruit from college following three impressive years with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The springy power forward faced adversity early on in his career as he missed several months of his rookie year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
He returned with a bang last January, tallying 23.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 19 games prior to the suspension of the season.
With his unworldly athleticism and undeniable star power, Williamson is expected to be the face of the league in the coming years.
He certainly has all the tools to succeed, but Zion will indeed have his work cut out for him just to at least come close to what Jordan accomplished in his legendary basketball career.
