Usually, we don’t find out about athletes - their talents and potential, until they are already in their college years. However, every now and then, there is a story that we get to see unfold from the very beginning. Such is the case with Zion Williamson, a rising star who started making noise well before being considered for the NBA selection. Keep reading to find out more about his origin, his skills, and how likely it is that this teenager, considered a rising star, will actually make it into the professional league.

He Was Destined For Greatness

Behind every great star, be it in sports, movies or science, there is a story. In the case of Zion Williamson, some might say his destiny was set from the moment he was born. With both his mom and dad having a history of excelling in sports as well as his stepfather, Zion’s path was practically pre-destined. He was born in the small town of Salisbury, North Carolina. His parents are Lateef Williamson and Sharonda Sampson and his stepfather’s name is Lee Anderson. The influence of these three adults might have been what would mark Zion for greatness.

Started Out As A Football Player

His father Lateef used to play football and he represented Livingston College back in the ‘90s. Despite getting divorced from Zion’s mom when his son was only five, he stayed in a close relationship with him. Maybe his father's words of wisdom contributed to Zion’s decision to dedicate all of his free time to practice and try to be the best athlete he possibly could. He carries some of his father's genes for sure, as he actually started out as a football player during his younger years, before deciding eventually on basketball. But Zion might have been influenced by someone else, too.

His Most Demanding Coach Was His Mother

Just like his father, Zion’s mom used to be an athlete as well. More specifically, she would run track at a university level at Livingston College. She was one of his most fervent believers and dedicated a great part of her time to coaching him and his team while he was in school. With her support, from early on, Zion started making waves as the next great promise in basketball. Sharonda Sampson, Zion’s mother, coached him through youth leagues as well as middle school and had been with him every step of the way. Zion described her as her most demanding coach, but not the only family member who taught him what he came to know.

His Stepfather Used to Play Basketball For Clemson

The third influential figure in Zion’s life was his stepfather, who married his mother shortly after her divorce from Zion’s father. As it so happened, he had played basketball at Clemson during his youth and this was actually one of the more important things Zion considered when deciding where to continue his career after graduation. He even helped in Zion’s training, making sure he was improving and developing his skills. With such family ties and the great recruitment methods initiated by Clemson, it was almost a sure thing that he would go there…but would he?

A Very Desirable Athlete

Like most teenage boys, Zion was still growing (physically) when he started being "courted" in high school by athletic reps from various schools who tried to lure him to study in their institution at the collegiate level. The first one was Wofford and it took place when Zion was only a freshman. After he continued to grow and reached an impressive height of 6 feet and 7 inches, the recruitment offers started to rain, with over 30 programs offering him a spot. Zion had an entire market to choose from but he had plenty of things to consider before making a decision.

The Coach With the Grandiose Vision For Zion's Career

With so many offers, it wasn’t easy to make a choice. However, decisive words from Mike Krzyzewski, the coach of Duke University's basketball team, convinced him to join and he became a part of the Blue Devils. After all, his coach had a vision for him, for not only for the next year or two but also to actually turn him into one of the biggest stars during the upcoming decades. This vision and a promise of building a brand (which meant he wouldn't be just a basketball star) were the things that made him say goodbye to his stepfather’s prior school and start the adventure in Duke.

Zion's Special Someone

Zion might be very busy practicing to be the best in the court, but he found the time to take a date to the prom. The lucky woman was Tiana White, who apparently became Zion’s girlfriend ever since they attended the event together. Not much is known about Tiana, except that she is a part of the cheerleading squad at Zion’s school back home and that she has a perfect smile. No one has actually confirmed these rumors as of yet and Zion tends to keep his personal life very private.

The Unexpected Mishap That Might've Ruined Everything

Zion Williamson started playing for Duke and he was breaking records as soon as he began playing. However, on February 20, 2019, he took a nasty fall after the most unexpected thing had happened. One of his Nike shoes disintegrated and as his foot went through it, Zion suffered a knee sprain. The fans, coaches, and his family were sick with worry! Would this be the end? Would he be able to continue or was this just a minor setback? For Zion, this was a test of strength and perseverance.  After all, as they say - no pain, no gain, right?

Nike's Value Dropped By $1.1 Billion!

The fact that a pair of footwear that was designed for the basketball court got ripped in such a public manner made the stockholders panic. Were the sneakers of bad quality? What went wrong? No matter what the reason was, the market value of Nike reportedly dropped around $1.1 billion instantly! It affected financial trading immediately after the game against North Carolina, where Zion was injured. Nike started to research in order to determine what had gone wrong but it was believed that Zion’s height, weight, and momentum could have played a crucial part in the mishap.

The Shoe Became A Priceless Object

Do you know the saying making lemonade out of lemons? Well, maybe a lot of cash could be made out of a busted shoe, but it would all depend on who was wearing it. Considering Zion’s incredible promise and that famous players' memorabilia could go for really high prices, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this torn sneaker could go for even $250K at an auction. Other things that would influence this high amount was the fact that it was a very public event captured on national television. This made it a collector’s dream without a doubt. The most important question though was this: would Zion be able to play again?

Was It A Career-Ending Injury?

Keep in mind that despite his immense talent, Zion is not even of ripe age yet. He started playing basketball at five years old and his dream of playing for the NBA was now at risk. He confessed to crying with his mom over his injury, thinking that the consequences might be dire. However, it wasn’t the case. Thankfully, with rest and physical therapy, Zion eventually healed and was able to go back to the court. Plenty of people could now feel a huge relief since the star of the future was now back on his feet.

Nike's Efforts to Fix the Mistake Were Impressive

One of the world’s largest brands, which pays Duke millions every year to star athletes like Williamson, spent a whole lot of money in their attempts to right the error, said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. To figure out the problem, Nike sent a special team a day after the incident to Durham, North Carolina. Then it flew the entire team to China to help make a more protected shoe. After a week they already had different shoes, done better. Krzyzewski told that story after Duke beat won 84-72 against Syracuse in the ACC Tournament's quarterfinals.

What A Comeback For Zion & For Nike

Williamson, who's 35 pounds heavier than LeBron James is most likely to be the first pick in this year’s NBA draft. The way in which he returned from his injury only added to the hype: He scored 13-13 field-goal and led both teams in both points and rebounds. When he was asked about the reinforced shoes Nike made just for him, he answered that they were incredible  and thanked Nike for making them. That must have been music to their ears. It seems that Nike's odds of signing him on an endorsement deal once he goes to the NBA are pretty big now.

Trained To Be Ambidextrous

To look at Zion’s chances of making it into the NBA, we can just examine his numbers. In high school, he was what some would call a 5-star recruit with 36.4 points as his average. Later, playing for Duke, he averaged 8.9 rebounds per game. Other things that favored Williamson’s profile was the fact that, although he was left-handed, he had practically trained to be ambidextrous. He was also quite fast for his weight (285 pounds) and height (6 feet and 7 inches). All in all, Williamson continued being the dream of any recruiter, but being signed to the NBA might have to wait a bit nevertheless.

Corruption in the Recruitment Process?

It was expected that Zion would only have to do one year of college basketball before being signed to one of the NBA teams. However, this would’ve been extended or even suspended if Zion showed involvement in any of the corruption cases in which Adidas seemed to be embroiled with regarding new recruits. After all, having their footwear on Zion’s feet would be a level of publicity that sports brands could only dream of. However, despite Zion’s name being mentioned at the current trial, it didn’t have any further consequences. Who else was mentioning Zion’s name though?

Compliments From the King

Getting a compliment from the current king of basketball, LeBron James must be amazing for an aspiring NBA player. LeBron has said very flattering things about Zion, and plenty of people have actually compared the both of them, estimating that Zion might just be the next LeBron. James has said that considering Zion’s size, his speed is certainly something to admire (his practices and exercises have paid off), although LeBron himself has had some difficult times this season. In fact, he didn't qualify to the NBA playoffs. But he’s still considered to this day the best NBA player at the moment. Would Zion soon change that?

It's Not Easy Being Famous

Being such a big star at sucha young age, it's not surprising that Zion is just as wanted off the court, many women would stand in line to go out on a date with him. But it seems that the young basketball star doesn’t have the luck or wisdom of picking the right ones after things went really bad when he tried picking up a girl from his college .His behavior was without any particular flaw in this instance, it was the girl who decided to expose his wooing attempts online in a pretty nasty move.

Sky Is the Limit, Maybe Even Beyond

In June 2019, Zion Williamson will be drafted by an NBA team. It is expected that the Knicks will be able to get the first pick, but the anticipation is great considering that Zion is the best of his generation. Meanwhile, a bidding war is taking place between the biggest footwear manufacturers, Adidas, Nike, and Reebok. This is just one example of how much big bucks Williamson is expected to make during his career. After all, between his player's income and the numerous endorsements he is sure to get, Zion will be set for life if he keeps playing as well as he does. And what a good life that will be!