LOS ANGELES – During his time at Duke University, Zion Williamson was bigger than life. Williamson was arguably more popular in college than some stars in the NBA as he put a show with his high-flying dunks and jaw-dropping blocks on a nightly basis for legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Williamson's incredible athleticism and potential to be a legitimate superstar on the next level made him the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Pelicans didn't hesitate for a second to draft Zion with the top pick, and even though he's missed the majority of the 2019-20 campaign, the decision seems to have paid off so far with his strong play in his short time healthy playing alongside All-Star forward Brandon Ingram.
With Williamson quickly turning into an NBA superstar, the Duke product is starting to see what real stardom is like on the next level. After the Pelicans lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, the 19-year-old forward had a funny answer for what the difference is between being in the NBA spotlight as opposed to his one year with the Blue Devils as the biggest star in college basketball.
“I feel like it is pretty similar,” Zion said. “The only difference is there is no student section.”
Following Tuesday's game against the Lakers, Williamson has played a total of 13 games in the NBA. That is an incredibly small sample size for the young forward, and his view of stardom in this league compared to his time playing for Krzyzewski is bound to change.
Although he hasn't even suited up for 15 games yet in his professional career, the writing is on the wall in New Orleans that a new star has emerged with a very bright future ahead. There's no telling what Zion's ceiling is at this point, but the Pelicans could be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come if the potential of Williamson and Ingram comes to fruition.
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