Zion Williamson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zion Williamson

Williamson with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020
No. 1 – New Orleans Pelicans
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(2000-07-06) July 6, 2000 (age 24) Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.
High school	Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, South Carolina)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	284 lb (129 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (2018–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans
Pro career	2019–present
League	NBA
Career history
2019–present	New Orleans Pelicans
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2021, 2023) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2020) National college player of the year (2019) Consensus first-team All-American (2019) Wayman Tisdale Award (2019) Karl Malone Award (2019) NABC Freshman of the Year (2019) ACC Athlete of the Year (2019) ACC Player of the Year (2019) First-team All-ACC (2019) ACC Rookie of the Year (2019) ACC All-Freshman team (2019) ACC tournament MVP (2019) McDonald's All-American (2018) South Carolina Mr. Basketball (2018)

Zion Lateef Williamson (born July 6, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the New Orleans Pelicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Zion plays the power forward position.

After one year playing college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, Zion was chosen first in the 2019 NBA draft. The Pelicans picked him as the very first player. In 2020, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. This means he was one of the best new players in the league. In 2021, he became one of the youngest NBA players ever to be picked for an All-Star game.

Zion was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. He went to Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina. He was considered one of the top five high school players in his class. He helped his team win three state championships in a row. In his final year, he was named South Carolina Mr. Basketball. He was also a McDonald's All-American, which is a big honor for high school players. Zion became famous in high school for his amazing slam dunks.

In his only year at Duke, Zion won many awards. He was named ACC Player of the Year. He also won ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. He set a school record for points scored by a freshman in one game. He also won the Wayman Tisdale Award.

Zion's Early Life and Start in Basketball

Zion Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. When he was young, he played soccer and football. He even played quarterback in football. But his dream was always to become a college basketball star.

When he was five years old, he decided he wanted to play college basketball. By age nine, Zion started waking up at 5 AM every day to train. He played in youth leagues, and his mom, Sharonda Sampson, was his coach. He also played for the Sumter Falcons in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). He often played against kids who were four years older than him.

Later, Zion worked with his stepfather, Lee Anderson, who was also a college basketball player. They worked on improving his skills as a point guard. He joined the basketball team at Johnakin Middle School. His mom coached him there too. He averaged 20 points per game. In middle school, Zion was a point guard and lost only three games in two years. In 2013, he led his middle school team to a conference title.

High School Basketball Journey

Freshman and Sophomore Years

Zion went to Spartanburg Day School. It is a small private school in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He played basketball for the Griffins. Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet 3 inches. In the summer before his first season, Zion practiced a lot. He learned how to slam dunk in the school gym.

He also played for the South Carolina Hornets AAU team. His teammate was Ja Morant, who is also a famous NBA player now. As a freshman, Zion averaged 24.4 points and 9.4 rebounds. He also had 2.8 assists, 3.3 steals, and 3.0 blocks per game. He earned All-State and All-Region honors. He led Spartanburg Day to the state championship game. In March 2015, Zion played in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game.

By his second year, he was 6 feet 6 inches tall. In his sophomore season, Zion averaged 28.3 points and 10.4 rebounds. He also had 3.9 blocks and 2.7 steals per game. He was named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year. He led the Griffins to their first regional title ever. In June 2016, Zion was the top scorer at the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Top 100 camp. In August, he won a dunk contest in New York City.

Junior Year Highlights

As a junior, Zion averaged 36.8 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game. He was on the watch list for the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award. Starting in the 2016–17 season, Zion became very famous. His highlight videos went viral online.

He scored 42 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in his first game of the season. This was on November 15, 2016. Later that month, NBA player Stephen Curry praised Zion's highlights. On November 24, Zion scored 50 points, including 10 dunks. He also had 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in a game.

In December, he set a tournament record with 53 points and 16 rebounds. He made 25 of 28 shots. On December 30, Zion won the MVP award at another tournament. On January 15, 2017, rapper Drake wore Zion's jersey. This made Zion even more famous.

Zion scored his 2,000th career point on January 20. He had 48 points in that game. On February 14, he led his team to another regional title. He scored 37 points in a big win. He broke the state record for most games with 30 points or more in a season. He had 27 such games. He was again named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year.

MaxPreps named him National Junior of the Year. USA Today also put him on their All-USA first team. In June, Zion was on the cover of Slam basketball magazine. In July, he scored 28 points in a highly watched AAU game. He led his team to a win over LaMelo Ball's team. In August, he was named MVP of the Adidas Nations camp.

Senior Year and National Recognition

In his senior year, Zion averaged 36.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. In his first game, he scored 46 points and had 15 rebounds. In his home opener, he scored 29 points and had 11 rebounds. In that game, he hurt his left foot. This kept him out for over a month. He said the time off helped him grow mentally.

Zion returned from injury on January 11, 2018. He scored 31 points in a win. On January 13, he scored 36 points in a nationally televised game. On February 8, he had 30 points and 13 rebounds in his final home game. On February 17, he scored 37 points and 10 rebounds. He also reached 3,000 career points in that game. A week later, he led Spartanburg Day to their third straight state championship. He scored 38 points in the final game.

On March 28, Zion played in the McDonald's All-American Game. He scored 8 points before leaving with a thumb injury. This injury made him miss two other big games. For his senior season, Zion was named to the USA Today All-USA first team. He also earned South Carolina Mr. Basketball recognition.

Choosing a College

Wofford was the first college to offer Zion a scholarship. This happened when he was a freshman in high school. By the end of his sophomore year, he had offers from 16 top college programs. These included Clemson and Florida. He planned to decide in his senior year.

In the summer of 2016, Clemson, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina were very interested. On August 30, 2016, Duke offered him a scholarship. Zion was also offered a football scholarship by LSU. But he was not interested in playing football in college.

By his junior year, Zion was a top-ranked recruit. Many experts thought he would play for Clemson. But on January 20, 2018, Zion announced he would go to Duke. He said Duke felt like a family. He also wanted to learn from Coach Mike Krzyzewski, a legendary college basketball coach. Duke also got RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish. This made them the first team to get the top three recruits in one year.

College Career at Duke

Williamson with Duke in December 2018

Zion played his first game for Duke on August 15, 2018. He scored 29 points and had 13 rebounds. He was on watch lists for major college player awards. On November 6, in his first regular season game, Zion scored 28 points. Duke won 118–84 against Kentucky. He and his teammate RJ Barrett broke Duke's freshman scoring record.

In his next game, Zion had 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks. He was named both player and freshman of the week in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). On January 5, 2019, he scored 25 points and had 10 rebounds against Clemson. He also did a 360-degree dunk. Two days later, he won ACC Freshman of the Week again.

On January 8, he scored 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. On January 12, he got poked in the eye and missed part of a game. He returned in Duke's next game and scored 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks. This broke Duke's freshman record for points in a single game. He set a new Duke freshman record with nine games scoring 25 points or more.

On February 2, he scored 29 points and had 5 steals. He was named ACC Freshman of the Week for the fourth time. He also won National Player of the Week. On February 16, he scored 32 points. This was his third game with 30 points or more. He won ACC Player of the Week and ACC Freshman of the Week again.

Williamson out with knee injury in February 2019

Williamson sits on the bench during a game versus Virginia Tech with an injury suffered from a broken shoe. He walks on the court during a media timeout.

On February 20, Zion got hurt in a game against North Carolina. His Nike shoe ripped, causing him to slip and sprain his knee. He missed the rest of that game. Nike's stock value dropped after this incident. Duke said Zion's injury was minor. Many people debated if he should stop playing college basketball. They felt he was already a top pick for the NBA draft. The injury also led to more talk about college athletes not getting paid.

Zion missed the last six games of the regular season. When the season ended, he won Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the ACC. He was only the third Duke player to win both awards. He also won ACC Athlete of the Year. He made the ACC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams.

He returned from his injury on March 14. He scored 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 steals in a win. He made all 13 of his shots, which was a record for Duke and the tournament. He was the first Duke player since 1992 to have at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals. The next day, he scored 31 points and hit the game-winning shot against North Carolina. After scoring 21 points in the championship game, Zion was named ACC Tournament MVP. He was only the sixth freshman to win this award.

For the 2019 NCAA tournament, the TV channel CBS had a special "Zion Cam." This camera followed Zion throughout the tournament. In his first NCAA Tournament game, he scored 25 points. On March 24, he had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists in a close win. He was the first Duke player to have such stats in an NCAA Tournament game.

On March 31, Zion scored 24 points and 14 rebounds. Duke lost a close game to Michigan State. This ended their season. In his freshman year, Zion averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. He shot 68% from the field, which was the best for a freshman ever. He also joined Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis as the only freshmen to have 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season.

On April 15, 2019, Zion announced he would enter the 2019 NBA draft. The New Orleans Pelicans won the draft lottery. This meant they would get the first pick. Zion's stepfather said they were excited about him playing in New Orleans. He also said Zion would not return to Duke for a second year.

Professional Career with the New Orleans Pelicans

Starting Strong: 2019–20 Season

On June 20, 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans chose Zion with the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He officially signed with the Pelicans on July 1, 2019. Before his rookie season started, Zion tore his meniscus (a knee injury) in October 2019.

He made his professional debut three months later, on January 22, 2020. He played 18 minutes and scored 22 points and 7 rebounds. He scored 17 points in a row in the fourth quarter. In his first eight games, Zion scored at least 20 points in six of them. This was the longest streak for any rookie that season.

On February 24, he led the Pelicans to a win with 28 points. He was just one game shy of Carmelo Anthony's record for most consecutive 20-point games as a teenager. He then became the first teenager in NBA history to score at least 20 points in 10 games in a row. On March 1, Zion scored a career-high 35 points.

Zion finished his rookie season averaging 22.5 points per game. He shot 58.3 percent from the field. He also averaged 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He was first among all rookies in points per game. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

First All-Star Selection: 2020–21 Season

On February 12, 2021, Zion scored a new career high of 36 points. He made 14 of 15 shots. This made him the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points with 90 percent shooting. On February 23, 2021, Zion was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. On March 21, 2021, he scored 30 points and 6 rebounds in a win.

During the season, Zion tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record. He had a long streak of games with at least 20 points on 50 percent shooting. This streak grew to 25 games in a row. He passed Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone. He also tied Shaquille O'Neal's record. His streak ended on April 7.

Injuries and Comebacks: 2021–Present

In the 2021 off-season, Zion hurt his right foot. He had surgery for a Jones fracture. Team officials hoped he would return by the start of the season. But his return was delayed until December. In mid-December, it was announced he would be out longer. He ended up missing the entire 2021–22 season.

On July 6, 2022, Zion signed a big contract extension with the Pelicans. It was worth $193 million guaranteed over five years. He returned from injury on October 4, 2022, in a preseason game. He scored 13 points. On October 19, he made his regular season return. He scored 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals.

On December 2, Zion scored 30 points and had 15 rebounds and 8 assists. On December 9, he scored a season-high 35 points. He also had 7 rebounds and 4 steals. A dunk he made at the end of the game caused a small argument between the Pelicans and the other team. On December 12, Zion was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week. He led New Orleans to a perfect 3–0 week.

On December 28, Zion scored a career-high 43 points. He got a hamstring injury on January 2, 2023. He was chosen for his second NBA All-Star appearance. But he could not play due to his injury. He missed the rest of the regular season. He also missed the play-in game, and the Pelicans' season ended.

On November 29, 2023, Zion scored 33 points. He made 11 of 12 shots from the field. He also had 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. On February 2, 2024, he scored 33 points and hit a game-winning layup. On April 16, in his first play-in game, he scored 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. But he got injured in the final minutes.

Zion started the 2024–25 season healthy. But he got a left hamstring strain early on. This made him miss 27 games. He returned on January 8, 2025, scoring 22 points. On January 10, the team suspended him for one game. This was because he was late for a team flight. His coach said there were "several occasions" that led to the suspension.

Zion's Unique Playing Style

Williamson goes in for a slam dunk against Hartford, December 2018

Zion is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 284 pounds. Even with his weight, he is known for his amazing speed and leaping ability. NBA player Kevin Durant called him a "once-in-a-generation type athlete." One college coach called him a "freak of nature."

Zion plays the power forward position. But he can also play as a smaller center. People say he doesn't fit a specific basketball position. His physical skills have been compared to former NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Larry Johnson. Some also compare him to LeBron James and Julius Randle. His high school coach said that college coach Roy Williams told Zion he was one of the best high school players he had seen since Michael Jordan. Zion is left-handed, but he can use both hands well.

In high school, Zion was famous for his slam dunks. The Charlotte Observer said he might be the best high school dunker ever. NBA point guard John Wall compared Zion's dunks to Vince Carter's. Some people have worried about Zion's outside shooting. He also has an unusual way of shooting.

247Sports has praised his ball handling and passing skills for his size. They said these skills are often "overshadowed by [his] athletic plays." Zion can defend many positions well because he is fast and has long arms. He is also good at shot-blocker and rebounder.

Zion has received comments about his weight during his NBA career. Before the 2021–2022 season, his weight increased. In 2022, he lost weight. But in 2023, retired basketball players Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal talked about their concerns about his weight. Zion's contract with the Pelicans has rules about his weight and body fat. If he doesn't keep them at certain levels, his salary can be reduced. Since the 2023 season, Zion has improved his physical shape. He has lost 25 pounds.

Endorsements and Charity Work

On July 23, 2019, Zion signed a five-year, $75 million shoe deal with Jordan brand. This was the second-largest rookie shoe deal ever. Only LeBron James's $90 million deal in 2003 was bigger.

On March 13, 2020, Zion promised to pay the salaries of all employees at the Smoothie King Center for 30 days. This was during the time the NBA season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was one of several basketball players who helped arena workers.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

NBA Play-in Games

College Statistics

Personal Life

In June 2023, Zion announced that he and his girlfriend were expecting a daughter.

See also

In Spanish: Zion Williamson para niños