Zion Williamson really loved his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden

Zion Williamson finally made his Madison Square Garden NBA debut on Sunday, and it appears he loved every minute of it.

Williamson missed both of the New Orleans Pelicans’ games at MSG last season due to injury, meaning he had to wait until Sunday to play there when the Pelicans faced the New York Knicks. Williamson starred, putting up 34 points in an overtime loss.

After the game, Williamson had nothing but praise for the venue, even naming it his favorite place to play outside of New Orleans.

“New York is the mecca of basketball. I love playing here,” Williamson said, via Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I played here in college [at Duke]. This is my first time playing in the pros. This atmosphere, whether they’re cheering for you or booing you, it’s amazing. Outside of New Orleans, obviously, this might be my favorite place to play. I can’t lie to you.”

As Williamson noted, he played at the venue with Duke in his lone year of college basketball, but that probably doesn’t compare to the NBA experience. Still, it was probably one of the reasons Williamson liked the idea of playing for the Knicks when they were a possible lottery destination.

For what it’s worth, if any Knicks fans are dreaming, Williamson becomes a restricted free agent in 2023.