We're learning more about the extent of Zion Williamson's injury after his shoe exploded mid-game
- Zion Williamson injured himself in a freak accident when his sneaker exploded 33 seconds into an NCAA game on Wednesday.
- Williamson withdrew with a knee injury 33 seconds into the match, which Duke lost 72-88.
- The absence of Williamson overshadowed the team's defeat, with former president Barack Obama "wishing him a speedy recovery" in a tweet.
- We are beginning to learn more about Williamson's injury, which his coach Mike Krzyzewski described as a mild knee sprain. The knee is reportedly stable.
- Duke's next match is on Saturday.
We're beginning to learn more about the extent of Zion Williamson's freak injury, after his shoe exploded 33 seconds into the highly-anticipated Duke vs. UNC game on Wednesday.
The Duke forward appeared to injure his knee in the very first minute of the NCAA game against the team's rival North Carolina.
Williamson, 18, seemed to plant his left foot during a spin move and fell awkwardly to the floor with his foot bursting through his Nike PG 2.5 sneaker. It can be seen on video here.
The freshman, a 6-foot-7 teenage sensation, grabbed his left knee before limping off of the court by himself. He was taken to the locker room, evaluated, and did not return for the remainder of the game.
Read more: Camera caught Obama's reaction the moment Zion Williamson's shoe exploded and he injured his knee
The injury captivated the attention of prominent people, which highlights how much attention Williamson has been getting for his awesome displays at Duke.
Former president Barack Obama said the forward seems like an "outstanding" man and wished him "a speedy recovery." LA Lakers star LeBron James also tweeted that he hopes the "young fella is ok."
Williamson's teammate at Duke, Cameron Reddish described the injury as a "shock," according to The Guardian. Duke went on to lose the match 72-88. Reddish added: "We're used to playing with him, so playing without him was very difficult. We missed him today."
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski described the injury as mild, according to Sports Illustrated. "We're very concerned about Zion," Krzyzewski said. "It's a mild knee sprain."
Krzyzewski said the knee was "stable so that's good." However, he added that he'd know more about how long Williamson will be sidelined for on Thursday.
Duke's next match is against Syracuse on Saturday.