1. Zion Williamson was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020.
50 Facts About Zion Williamson
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Zion Williamson led his team to three straight state championships and earned South Carolina Mr Basketball recognition in his senior season.
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Zion Williamson left high school as a McDonald's All-American, runner-up for Mr Basketball USA, and USA Today All-USA first team honoree.
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Zion Williamson set the single-game school scoring record for freshmen in January 2019, claimed ACC Rookie of the Week accolades five times, earned AP Player of the Year, Sporting News College Player of the Year recognition, and won the Wayman Tisdale Award.
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On July 6,2000, Zion Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina to Lateef Zion Williamson and Sharonda Sampson.
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Lateef Zion Williamson was a football defensive lineman at Mayo High School in Darlington, South Carolina, who was a High School All-American in 1993 and had committed to NC State before transferring to Livingstone College.
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Besides basketball, Zion Williamson played soccer and the quarterback position in football.
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Zion Williamson competed in youth leagues with his mother Sharonda Sampson coaching and played for the Sumter Falcons on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit, facing opponents four years older than he was.
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Zion Williamson later began working with his stepfather to improve his skills as a point guard.
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Zion Williamson joined the basketball team at Johnakin Middle School in Marion, South Carolina, where he was again coached by his mother and averaged 20 points per game.
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In middle school, Zion Williamson was a point guard and lost only three games in two years.
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Zion Williamson led Spartanburg Day to a South Carolina Independent School Association state championship game appearance.
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In March 2015, Zion Williamson took part in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game in Sumter, South Carolina.
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Zion Williamson led the Griffins to their first SCISA Region I-2A title in program history.
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In June 2016, Zion Williamson participated in the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 camp and was its leading scorer.
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Zion Williamson broke the state record for most 30-point games in a season, with 27 by the end of the regular season.
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Zion Williamson repeated as SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year.
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One week later, Zion Williamson guided Spartanburg Day to its third consecutive SCISA Region I-2A championship after recording 38 points against Trinity Collegiate School.
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On March 28, Zion Williamson played in the 2018 McDonald's All-American Game, where he scored 8 points in 17 minutes before leaving with a thumb injury.
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Zion Williamson additionally earned South Carolina Mr Basketball recognition and was runner-up for Mr Basketball USA.
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Wofford offered Zion Williamson his first college basketball scholarship when he was a freshman in high school.
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Zion Williamson became the second player in school history to record at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game.
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Zion Williamson was named both player and freshman of the week in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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Two days later, Zion Williamson earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for a second time.
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Zion Williamson eclipsed the Duke freshman record for single-game points previously held by Marvin Bagley III and JJ Redick.
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On February 4,2019, Zion Williamson was named ACC Freshman of the Week on his fourth occasion, while earning a National Player of the Week distinction from the Naismith Trophy.
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Zion Williamson was held out from the final six games of the regular season.
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Zion Williamson was named ACC Athlete of the Year, becoming the 10th Duke player to win the Award.
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Zion Williamson additionally made the ACC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams.
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Zion Williamson shot 13-of-13 from the field, marking the best shooting performance in school and tournament history, while tying the record for the best shooting performance in ACC history.
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Zion Williamson became the first Duke player to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game since Christian Laettner did so in 1992.
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On July 1,2019, Zion Williamson officially signed with the Pelicans.
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Zion Williamson tore his meniscus on October 13,2019, during the preseason of his rookie campaign.
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Zion Williamson played 18 minutes and finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds, scoring 17 consecutive points in 3:08 minutes during the fourth quarter.
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Zion Williamson finished his rookie season averaging 22.5 points on 58.3 percent shooting from the floor, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
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Zion Williamson ranked first among all rookies in points per game, second in rebounds per game and first in offensive rebounds per game.
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Zion Williamson became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to post 16 20-point games within their first 20 contests while logging the highest scoring average through his first 24 career NBA games since Jordan in 1983.
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On February 23,2021, Zion Williamson was selected into his first NBA All-Star Game.
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Zion Williamson was sidelined on January 2,2023, with a hamstring injury.
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On January 26,2023, Zion Williamson was selected for his second NBA All-Star appearance.
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However, due to his unavailability, Zion Williamson was replaced by Anthony Edwards.
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Subsequently, Zion Williamson sat out the Pelicans appearance in their play-in game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which New Orleans lost, ending their season.
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Zion Williamson has been described as not fitting a specific basketball position.
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Zion Williamson's outside shooting has been considered a point of concern, and he has unorthodox shot mechanics.
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At various points during his NBA career, Zion Williamson has received criticism in the media from basketball observers who perceive him to be overweight.
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Since the inaugural In-Season Tournament during the 2023 season, Zion Williamson has seen significant improvements to his physique, losing 25 lbs.
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On July 23,2019, Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $75 million shoe deal with Jordan brand.
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Zion Williamson's deal is the second-largest rookie shoe deal in history, trailing only LeBron James's $90 million rookie deal signed in 2003.
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Zion Williamson was one of several basketball players to help the arena workers.
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In June 2023, Zion Williamson announced his girlfriend's pregnancy in a baby shower YouTube video with the couple expecting a daughter due in November.