On July 6, 2000, Zion Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. He became interested in sports almost instantly, playing soccer and football along with basketball as a young child. At the age of five, he already had his mind fixed on a single ultimate goal: Earning his way on a college hoops team and eventually becoming one of the best in the nation.
It is safe to say that he achieved this, which is a testament to Zion's natural talent. The five-year-old Zion played for the Sumter Falcons, an AAU squad comprised of individuals four years his senior. When he was nine years old, he would wake up at 5 a.m. to practice shooting and partake in drills before heading to school just a few hours later.
Today, standing at 6'6″ and rumored to weigh around 330 pounds, one would assume Zion has owned or at least showcased the physique needed to succeed in the NBA early on. The eye test, however, is deceiving in this case, as Zion was not expected to develop into the burly specimen that he is now. As an eighth-grader, he was only a 5'9″ and played point guard. It was not until after he went through a growth spurt as a freshman in high school that he became a star. Over the course of that one year, he shot up to a lanky 6'3″ at just 15 years old.
Williamson played high school ball for Spartanburg Day School, a K-12 private school located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. His numbers improved each season from his freshman to senior year. For his first two years of high school, he averaged 26.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in 28.1 minutes of play. By the end of his sophomore campaign, he grew another three inches to reach his current height. It was around this time many realized he would soon take his game to a whole other level.
The 2016-17 season marked the beginning of Zion Williamson's worldwide popularity, particularly thanks to social media. Highlight compilations of him rejecting shots in mid-air or throwing down monstrous dunks spread like wildfire. He quickly became one of the most famous teenagers in the world.
As a junior, he put up absurd numbers of 36.8 points, 13.0 boards, 3.0 steals, and 2.5 blocks per contest. Zion practically emulated these numbers in his senior year despite seeing his minutes per game dropping from 29.4 to 23.4.
Unsurprisingly, the forward received scholarship offers from some of the best college basketball programs in the country, most notably Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA. After meeting with the four institutions, he decided on Duke, led by historically successful coach Mike Krzyzewski.
During his lone season with the Blue Devils in 2018-19, Zion shot 68 percent from the field and scored 22.6 points a night, leading to him receiving the John Wooden Award along with being named a Consensus All-American. He led Duke to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, eventually losing to Michigan State, 68-67.
It goes without saying that Zion Williamson achieved an incredible amount during his time in high school and college prior to him being selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. While he has yet to reach his full potential due to injuries, he is still one of the league's brightest young stars.
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