Zion Williamson reveals the 5 NBA fan bases he hears from most on social media
- Zion Williamson's superhuman athleticism and high-flying, rim-shaking dunks have left NBA coaches, fans, and scouts salivating.
- Just 12 games into the 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward's freshman year with the Duke Blue Devils, many fans and pundits are already focused on where he will take his talents next.
- Williamson is widely expected to be the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
- Williamson recently revealed the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets fans as the most aggressive on social media in courting him to their NBA franchise.
Just 12 games into Zion Williamson's freshman year, many fans and pundits are already focused on where the young phenom and social media sensation will take his talents next.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward joined Duke as the second-ranked recruit in the country and has since averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. However, it's his superhuman athleticism and high-flying, rim-shaking dunks that have left NBA coaches, fans, and scouts salivating.
After Williamson posted 17 points and 13 rebounds in Duke's 69-58 win against previously undefeated Texas Tech, the Spartanburg, South Carolina, native - who is widely expected to be the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft - revealed which fans are most aggressive on social media in courting him to their NBA franchise.
"I'm gonna say the ones I see the most," Williamson said. "I'm gonna say the [Atlanta] Hawks, [Charlotte] Hornets, [Chicago] Bulls, [New York] Knicks, and [Brooklyn] Nets. Those are the ones I see the most."
Many have suggested that teams should "stop tryin' for Zion," better known as tanking for a better pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But Williamson was not necessarily flattered by the prospect of teams throwing away their current seasons to try to acquire him next year.
"It's love, don't get me wrong," Williamson said of NBA fans' calls of tanking. "I care about their opinions, but at the same time I truly care about the scouts', the managers', and the coaches' opinions from those teams."
At this point in the NBA season, the teams expected to sit at the top of the draft order include some of the teams Williamson mentioned, including the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks, but he notably failed to mention two of the teams most likely to bring him into their ranks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their star in LeBron James and dropped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Cavaliers - who are 8-26 on the season - arguably need the talent and spark Williamson provides more than any other team in the league. Likewise, the perennially terrible Phoenix Suns - who are also 8-26 on the season - have been desperate for a franchise-changing player like Williamson for years.
"I don't really care where I go," Williamson said. "Just the experience of being in the NBA… whoever wants me and whoever sees the most in me, that's where I want to be."