He’s got a first name that crackles almost as much as his game, rooted in biblical history, which roughly translates to “highest point,” a…
He’s got a first name that crackles almost as much as his game, rooted in biblical history, which roughly translates to “highest point,” a fitting description of Duke’s freshman sensation, Zion Williamson.
He’s the biggest college star in years, a next-generation blend of power, size and immortal hops, and when he took the floor Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Arena, he had an easy view of Barack Obama, Ken Griffey Jr., Spike Lee and assorted current and former athletes and actors.
For once, Williamson wasn’t the biggest name in the house. But he quickly became the biggest story.
About 33 seconds into the Duke-North Carolina game that had fetched several thousand dollars for the choicest seats, Williamson blew out his left shoe, slipped as a result, and hurt his knee. Just like that, the center of Wednesday night’s sports world fell silent.
Duke’s coach, Mike Kryzyzewski, said his superstar suffered a mild sprain. That’s the good news for Williamson.
Maybe he’ll be back for the NCAA tournament. Maybe he won’t — it’s too soon to tell. Whatever happens, the Blue Devils’ title chances aren’t as certain today.
Yet that’s the least of the fallout after Wednesday night’s game. Almost immediately after Williamson went down, several NBA players took to Twitter either to encourage the 6-foot-7-inch, 280-pound forward to forgo the rest of the season or to blast the NBA rule that keeps players like him from turning pro out of high school.
