New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is grateful for ESPN's “The Last Dance” documentary since it gave him a chance to witness the excellence of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 90s.
The 19-year-old, who was born in 2000, was simply in awe of Jordan's transcendent talent on the hardwood.
“When I started watching Mike, it was just, even though I wasn't alive when he was doing those things, it just captured me,” the Pelicans rising star said in a call with TNT's Ernie Johnson on Monday.
“Everything he did was just incredible. His highlights are like, ‘Man, somebody was doing all that?' And the way he flew through the air, dunked on pretty much anybody. His midrange shot, his playmaking, his defensive ability — everything he brought to the table.”
#NBATogether with Ernie Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ) begins now with No. 1 overall pick @Zionwilliamson. https://t.co/C03FCETeVK
— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2020
Entering the league with the Pelicans as one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory, Williamson further said that watching Jordan made him understand what it takes to succeed in the league.
“And the one thing he said that really stands out to me is, he plays like somebody's watching him for the first time, and he doesn't want to disappoint,” Zion Williamson shared about Michael Jordan. “Just the leader he was. You knew he was a leader, but he just — he's a leader, but he put in the most work. He would always work the hardest, in practice and in games. So it just shows how much of a leader he was.”
Williamson's athleticism, meanwhile, has long been compared to Jordan when he first entered the league in 1984.
Although they played in different generations, the Pelicans newcomer now has a chance to build a relationship with “His Airness” after joining the Jordan Brand as an ambassador last year.
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