Zion Williamson is the most exciting player in college basketball and the consensus favorite to be the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, but the freshman insists he has no intentions of abandoning his teammates to protect his future.
Earlier in the week, Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen suggested Williamson should sit out for the remainder of the season to avoid suffering an injury. Former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady agreed.
Tracy McGrady and @ScottiePippen don’t agree on whether Zion Williamson is the best player on his Duke team – but regardless, they both think he should stop playing NCAA ball right now, to eliminate the risk of injury before the draft. pic.twitter.com/7Egu42FjfJ
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 16, 2019
We’ve seen several top college football players take that approach with bowl games in recent years, and Pippen and McGrady argue that basketball players should do the same. But while Williamson may not have anything to gain professionally from continuing to play for the Blue Devils, he said he would not feel right letting his teammates and Coach K down.
Zion Williamson on Scottie Pippen's comments: "I can't just stop playing. I'd be letting my teammates down, I'd be letting Coach K down, I'd be letting a lot of people down. If I wanted to sit out, I wouldn't have went to college. I came to Duke to play." @SportsHubTriad
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamRadio) January 20, 2019
Duke is 15-2 and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Williamson is averaging 21.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and some of the electrifying plays he has made have people as excited as ever about the team. The Blue Devils have a legitimate chance to capture their sixth championship in the Coach K era, and you have to admire Williamson for not wanting to quit in the middle of that.
