Zion Williamson

Williamson was raised by his mother, Sharonda Sampson, and his stepfather, Lee Anderson. Both played collegiate sports, with Sampson competing as a sprinter and Anderson playing basketball at Clemson. In June 2023, Williamson announced that he and his girlfriend were expecting a daughter.

Outside of basketball, he is an avid fan of Japanese manga and anime. His favorite series is Naruto. He designed custom sneaker colorways inspired by the franchise through his partnership with Jordan Brand.

Williamson grew up in South Carolina. At age nine, he started waking up at 5 a.m. to run drills and work on his shooting. His mother coached his youth teams, and his stepfather trained him as a point guard. That early guard training gave him exceptional ball-handling skills for his frame.

At Spartanburg Day School, he led the Griffins to three consecutive SCISA state titles. He averaged 36.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game as a senior. Highlight videos of his rim-rocking dunks circulated widely online. Drake wore his high school jersey in a viral photo. Williamson finished his prep career as a consensus five-star recruit and South Carolina Mr. Basketball.

Williamson committed to Duke alongside top recruits RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish. In his collegiate debut against Kentucky, he scored 28 points in 23 minutes. He set a school freshman record by scoring 35 points against Syracuse. In February 2019, his shoe blew out during a rivalry matchup with North Carolina, causing a Grade 1 knee sprain that cost him six games.

He returned in March to lead Duke to the ACC tournament championship. In the quarterfinals against Syracuse, he went 13-of-13 from the floor. He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 68 percent from the field. He swept the national player of the year honors, claiming the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, and Wayman Tisdale Award.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Williamson with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. A torn meniscus delayed his professional debut until January 2020. Once active, he scored at least 20 points in 10 consecutive games as a teenager, setting an NBA record.

In his second year, he earned an All-Star selection while averaging 27.0 points per game. He tied Shaquille O'Neal's record of 25 consecutive games scoring at least 20 points on 50 percent shooting. A fractured foot sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season. In July 2022, he signed a five-year rookie contract extension. He earned another All-Star nod in 2023 and helped the Pelicans reach the postseason in 2024, scoring 40 points in a play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers.