Zion Williamson Is Alive

ORIGIN
Zion Williamson is an American professional basketball player from South Carolina. The New Orleans Pelicans selected him first overall in the 2019 NBA draft. He stands 6ft 7in tall and plays the small forward/power forward positions. Prior to the NBA, Williamson played at Spartanburg Day School followed by Duke University (Duke Blue Devils). He was named to the 2018 McDonald’s All-American and the Jordan Brand Classic. His accolades also include the ACC Rookie of the Year (2019), and the Consensus National College Player of the Year.

Given name, Zion Lateef Williamson, he was born on July 6, 2000, in Salisbury, North Carolina. He has a brother named Noah. His mother, Sharonda Sampson, ran track at Livingstone College, and his father, Lateef Williamson, played football defensive lineman in college. The two separated when he was 5. His mom later married, Lee Anderson, a former basketball player at Clemson University. Prior to basketball, Williamson showed great interest in soccer. He also experimented with football at the quarterback position. His focus was shifted towards basketball at age 5.

CAREER
Growing up, Williamson competed in various youth leagues, with his mom serving as his coach. He faced off against much older kids in the Amateur Athletic Union as a member of the Sumter Falcons. Coaching responsibility was later shared by his mom and step-dad. Williamson attended Johnakin Middle School, where he averaged 20 points per game. His prowess on the court led the team to an 8-1 record.

Williamson continued his impressive streak at Spartanburg Day School, under coach Lee Sartor. He spearheaded the team to 3 consecutive Class AA state championships. He averaged 36.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists throughout high school. Williamson was named South Carolina Mr. Basketball (2018) his senior year. He was also dubbed a top-5 player for the class of 2018. His career highlights include the Jordan Brand Classic, the McDonald’s All-American, and the Nike Hoop Summit.

On January 20, 2018, Williamson verbally committed to Duke University. Other offers on the table included Kentucky, Kansas, and Clemson. The opportunity to play for coach Mike Krzyzewski also had a big influence on his decision. Williamson’s regular-season debut for the Duke Blue Devils resulted in a 118–84 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. He was named ACC Freshman of the Week 3 times between November 2018 and January 2019. Williamson played a total of 33 games for the Blue Devils. He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. In addition to the aforementioned accolades, he’s won the 2019 Wayman Tisdale Award and was named to the Consensus first-team All-American.

While at Duke, Williamson was projected as a top-5 pick for the 2019 NBA draft. It’s now safe to say that those predictions were spot on. Williamson officially declared for the 2019 NBA draft on April 15, 2019. He was selected in the first round with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans.

PERSONAL
Zion Williamson is 6ft 7in tall and he’s about 285 pounds. His wingspan is listed at 6ft 10in. The name “Zion” was given to him by his mom. It makes reference to “Mount Zion” of Jerusalem. Due to his height, Williamson plays primarily the power forward position. He’s drawn comparison to players like Charles Barkley, Larry Johnson, LeBron James and Julius Randle. Zion Williamson’s net worth is estimated at $8 million. His rookie contract was $30.7 million for 3 years. Basketball analysts believe that he will earn more than $1 billion over the life of his basketball career. That would put him in uncharted territory among the likes of Michael Jordan, Floyd Mayweather and Tiger Woods.

Zion Williamson Bio, Net Worth, Height