Despite a standout rookie campaign at Duke that put Zion Williamson at the forefront of NBA Draft discussions, he still gave serious consideration to returning to school for his sophomore campaign.
Speaking to his Pelicans teammate J.J. Redick on The Ringer’s JJ Redick Podcast, Williamson said his goal was returning to school but after extensive talks with friends and family, he declared for the NBA Draft at the deadline.
“Me, I wanted to go back. Nobody ever believes me,” he said (via NBC Sports). “They think I’m just saying that. But no, I genuinely wanted to go back. I felt like the NBA wasn’t going anywhere. The money thing, that’s money. I don’t play this for money. I play it, because I genuinely love the game. I just loved my experience at Duke that much, where I wanted to stay.”
Williamson, 19, has yet to make his NBA debut after undergoing knee surgery during the preseason. He is back practicing with New Orleans and is expected to make his much-anticipated debut at some point this month. However, if he had his way, Williamson might still be at Duke playing for coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“It was one of those situations where Coach K is not going to let me come back, because he wants me to do what’s best for the family,” Williamson said. “My teammates were saying, ‘That would be dope if you come back.’ But at the same time, they’re telling me I would be leaving too much. I didn’t work this long to get to that. It was tough.”
Well now, if it never works out. He is still setup for life and can go back to Duke as a local legend.
Apparently he will have to be a legend because he is never going to play. He is the King Arthur of the NBA. No one really knows if he was actually real, but everyone is positive that he was one of the best leaders ever.
Did he enjoy Duke that much or did he just not want to get drafted by the Pelicans?
Yes
Second one
He probably assumed the Lakers would manipulate a deal to get him.
I was all for him staying, but this injury might have changed my mind – as an injured pro he has been given 24 hour care, a “wait until you’re completely ready” approach and a paycheck. At Duke if he suffers the same injury, he’d be combining rehab with going to classes and probably being rushed so he was ready for the ACC season, all this while deciding how much the injury affects his draft status and wondering if he should come back next year.
Doubt
The shoe incident changed his mind.
It was fairly obvious on lottery night who he wanted to play for. The video is out there.
As a Warriors fan, I really wish Zion had followed his heart.
Red flag city. Guy’s goin’ south!
Good job Pelinka/James in not going for this amazing talent with a rocky journey ahead.