Zion Williamson made his much-anticipated collegiate debut with the Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday, scoring 28 points on 11-for-13 shooting with seven rebounds and two assists.
Williamson’s performance, along with the 33-point effort from R.J. Barrett, helped catapult Duke to a convincing 118-84 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. It only took one game, but Zion has, as expected, captured the attention of the NBA.
Earlier today, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr discussed Williamson, or rather, a certain Duke player weighing 285 pounds in order to avoid any potential violations of the league's tampering policy. Kerr confessed that he thought a player like LeBron James was a "one shot deal" before conceding that "the next guy’s coming." Kerr doubled down on hopefully avoiding a fine by directly pleading with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, saying, "Adam, please don't fine me, wherever you are."
It's hard not to like what Williamson showed in his 23 minutes of action against the No. 2-ranked team in the country. His first basket as a member of the Duke Blue Devils was a clean three-pointer, proving that he's more than just some player who can get his points above the rim. Zion fueled the LeBron comparison with some strong drives to the basket that were eerily similar to The King. Then, there was that much talked about 45-inch vertical, which was on full display when the North Carolina native soared for a rebound and flushed down a fastbreak dunk. There was a whole lot to like after just one game.
