New Jordan? NBA sensation Williamson fires up the hype

A new Michael Jordan? Or rather LeBron James 2.0? Zion Williamson is considered the upcoming sensation of the NBA. At his first appearance in the jersey of the New Orleans Pelicans, the massive exceptional athlete fired the hopes of the fans.

Zion Williamson has shrunk. When the exceptional athlete took off his shoes at the official NBA professional trade fair, three centimetres from the previously listed 2.01 metres were suddenly missing. The 19-year-old, who is believed by renowned experts to have a career such as Michael Jordan or LeBron James, is thus quite small for a winger. Nevertheless, his brute force makes him an exceptional phenomenon.

10,000 spectators during public training, more than four million followers during Instagram and endless hymns of praise: The new professional, who weighs a whopping 130 kilograms, is, without doubt, the new sensation of the best basketball league in the world. Or at least about to become one. On his first appearance in the New Orleans Pelicans jersey, he put on an impressive flight show. “It was great fun,” he said afterwards.

“I like everything about him,” LeBron James, one of the best basketball players in history, had said before: “His jumping power is as incredible as his speed and agility. And he’s just a good boy who behaves very modestly in the media.” The all-star of the Los Angeles Lakers had his impression of the exceptional talent approaching when he visited a game at Duke University.

Even before Williamson was selected as number one draft for the talent award in June and then cried unrestrainedly, the hype about the prodigy had long since broken out. When his Nike shoe broke during a college game, and he injured himself, the company’s share price slumped by more than two per cent. Barack Obama publicly worried about the athlete, who announced on Twitter in 2015 at the age of 15: “I will shock the world”.

Williamson earns 13 million US dollars a year from supplier contract

Williamson is an exceptional phenomenon and therefore, excellently marketable. According to Forbes, his supplier contract is expected to earn him 13 million US dollars a year, and his expectations are correspondingly oversized. On his debut for the Pelicans on the night of Tuesday, he delivered a first taste of what the Glitterliga NBA can expect.

The man with the self-confident jersey number 1 made his mark on the 133:109 victory in the test match against the Atlanta Hawks. Williamson jumped like a bouncer, thundered the ball through the basket and delighted the fans with 16 points and seven rebounds. “Many opponents are much stronger than in college, so you have to have several ways to score,” he said afterwards.

Williamson has yet to prove that he can play a dominant role in the NBA season, which starts on October 22nd. He still has to improve on the distance throw and the free-throw line, his opponents, will defend him much harder than in college. And the advance laurels can also put a strain on him. Under the great pressure, many a giant talent has already collapsed.