page_title: Zion Williamson
section_title: Player profile
hierarchical_section_title: Zion Williamson / Player profile
caption_attribution_description: Zion Williamson&#160;:: Duke Men's Basketball NCAA&#160;:: Keenan Hairston
context_page_description: Zion Lateef Williamson is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association. He plays the power forward position. Following a dominant freshman-year stint with the Duke Blue Devils, he was selected by the Pelicans first overall in the 2019 NBA draft.
  Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, Williamson attended Spartanburg Day School, where he was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked among the top five players in the 2018 class. He led his team to three straight state championships and earned South Carolina Mr. Basketball recognition in his senior season. Williamson also left high school as a McDonald's All-American, runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA, and USA Today All-USA first team honoree. In high school, he drew national attention for his slam dunks.
  In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year.
context_section_description: Williamson is listed at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall and weighs 285 pounds (129 kg). Despite his heavy weight for a basketball player, he is known for his speed and leaping ability. NBA player Kevin Durant described him as a "once-in-a-generation type athlete" while an anonymous college basketball coach labeled him a "freak of nature". Williamson plays the power forward position but is also capable of being a small-ball center. However, he is best played as a forward due to his size. He has been described as not fitting a specific basketball position. His physical attributes have drawn comparisons to former NBA stars Charles Barkley, Anthony Mason, and Larry Johnson. In addition, according to different analysts, he resembles NBA players LeBron James and Julius Randle. Lee Sartor, Williamson's high school coach, reported that basketball coach Roy Williams told Williamson "that he was probably one of the best high school players he's seen since Michael Jordan". Williamson, who is left-handed, is almost ambidextrous, being adept using either hand.
  While in high school, Williamson drew national attention for his slam dunks. The Charlotte Observer remarked that he "could be the best high-school dunker in history". NBA point guard John Wall has likened Williamson's in-game dunking ability to that of Vince Carter. Williamson's outside shooting has been considered a point of concern, and he has unorthodox shot mechanics. Recruiting service 247Sports has praised his ball handling and passing skills for his size, commenting that they are "overshadowed by [his] athletic plays". Williamson has the ability to defend multiple positions well due to his speed and length, although his defensive effort has been questioned. His explosive play makes him a reliable shot-blocker and gives him prowess as a rebounder.
caption: Williamson goes in for a slam dunk against Hartford, December 2018
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