Published 17:09 IST, January 23rd 2020
Zion Williamson reflects on record-breaking yet bittersweet NBA debut against Spurs
New Orleans Pelicans have a gem in their squad as the entire world witnessed the birth of a potential NBA star as #1 draft pick Zion Williamson made his debut.
Advertisement
Zion Williamson has truly arrived in the NBA amidst much fanfare after a memorable debut against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night (Thursday morning IST). The highly-rated No 1 draft pick was sidelined for much of the first half this season and kept fans waiting until yesterday before he could make his first appearance on the court in the NBA. Zion Williamson registered 22 points, 7 rebounds in just 18 minutes but could not prevent the Pelicans from losing to Spurs by a scoreline of 117-121 at the Smoothie King Center.
Spurs vs Pelicans: Zion Williamson announces himself on the big stage
Zion Williamson is the 1st player in NBA history to go 4-4 (or better) on threes in his NBA debut (via @EliasSports).
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 23, 2020
His 22 points are the most in a player's debut in @PelicansNBA history, passing Anthony Davis. pic.twitter.com/FoVIfNe7hS
Zion Williamson stats: Is the Pelicans star a future MVP contender?
MOST POINTS BY NO. 1 PICK (post-merger) IN NBA DEBUT:
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) January 23, 2020
1. Allen Iverson: 30
2. Magic Johnson: 26
3. LeBron James: 25
4. Hakeem Olajuwon: 24
T5. David Robinson: 23
T5. Mychal Thompson: 23
*7. ZION WILLIAMSON: 22*
8 . Anthony Davis: 21
9 . Blake Griffin: 20
10 . Mark Aguirre: 19 pic.twitter.com/iRSKL2I53I
Zion Williamson did not get much time in the middle to showcase his skills but ensured that he would stamp his presence on the game with some stunning shooting efforts. The 19-year old former Duke College player scored four three-pointers in the fourth quarter as he registered 17 straight points in the dying stages of the game. Zion Williamson will rival Ja Morant for the Rookie of the Year award. Fans will be eagerly waiting for the Pelicans' next game against the Denver Nuggets and see how Zion Williamson fares against one of the league’s best centers in Nikola Jokic. Can the towering youngster lead the New Orleans Pelicans to the playoffs in the coming years?
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson on his NBA debut: “It was everything I dreamed of, except the losing part. ... The energy the city brought, it was electric. I’m just grateful they did that. It was a dream come true.” pic.twitter.com/Sq0Gc0Dash
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 23, 2020
Zion Williamson debut: Twitterati gets exciting
Zion Williamson hit 24 3-pointers in 33 college games. He hit 4 in his NBA debut 👀👀
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 23, 2020
17:09 IST, January 23rd 2020