Zion Williamson
Born 2000 · Age 25
American professional basketball player (power forward) for the New Orleans Pelicans; one-time No. 1 overall pick (2019), multi-time All-Star, notable college career at Duke and high-school phenom famed for explosive athleticism and dunks.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Salisbury, North Carolina
Zion Lateef Williamson born to Lateef Williamson and Sharonda Sampson.
Family moved to Florence, South Carolina
After the death of his maternal grandmother, the family moved to Florence when Zion was two.
Parents divorced
By age five his parents had divorced; his mother later married Lee Anderson.
Early training routine begins
At age nine he began waking up every morning at 5 a.m. to train (running drills and shooting).
Middle school conference title (Johnakin Middle)
Guided Johnakin Middle School to an 8–1 record and a conference title; averaged 20 PPG in middle school under his mother's coaching.
Attended Spartanburg Day School (freshman season)
Entered Spartanburg Day School; practiced and developed dunking ability over the summer before freshman year.
High school freshman on-court breakout
As a high-school freshman averaged 24.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 3.3 SPG, 3.0 BPG; earned All-State and All-Region honors and led team to SCISA state championship appearance.
SCISA North-South All-Star Game participation
Took part in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game in Sumter, South Carolina (March 2015).
Sophomore season breakout & recruiting attention
Sophomore year averaged 28.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.9 BPG and was named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year; received offers from multiple Division I programs.
NBPA Top 100 Camp leading scorer
Participated in the NBPA Top 100 camp (June 2016) and was its leading scorer.
Won Under Armour Elite 24 dunk contest
Captured the Under Armour Elite 24 showcase dunk contest in NYC (Aug 2016), raising national profile.
53-point game at Chick-fil-A Classic
Posted 53 points and 16 rebounds at the Chick-fil-A Classic (Dec 21, 2016), a tournament-record performance.
National media exposure & accolades (junior year)
Named MaxPreps National Junior of the Year, High School All-American; USA Today All-USA first team; Slam magazine cover (June 2017).
Surpassed 2,000 career points (high school)
Broke the 2,000-point barrier with a 48-point game vs Oakbrook Prep (Jan 20, 2017).
Duke early-season standout: 27 pts, 16 rebs, 6 blocks
In a win over Army, tallied 27 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks; named ACC Player and Freshman of the Week.
Hoophall Classic (senior season)
Scored 36 points in nationally televised Hoophall Classic vs Chino Hills (Jan 13, 2018).
Committed to Duke University
Announced commitment to Duke (live ESPN telecast, Jan 20, 2018).
3,000th high school career point
Scored his 3,000th career point vs Spartanburg Christian Academy at SCISA Region I-2A tournament (Feb 17, 2018).
McDonald's All-American Game appearance (thumb injury)
Played in McDonald's All-American Game (Mar 28, 2018), scored 8 points before leaving with a thumb injury; missed Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.
Duke regular-season debut
Scored 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting in Duke's 118–84 win over Kentucky at the Champions Classic (Nov 6, 2018).
Poked in eye vs Florida State; missed rest of that game
Sustained eye poke (Jan 12, 2019) and missed the remainder of that contest; returned two games later.
Erupted for 35 vs Syracuse and set Duke freshman single-game scoring record
Scored 35 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks (Jan 14, 2019), surpassing Duke freshman single-game scoring record.
National Player of the Week (Naismith) & ACC honors
Named Naismith National Player of the Week and ACC Freshman of the Week (Feb 4, 2019) after leading performances.
Nike shoe failure and Grade 1 knee sprain vs UNC
36 seconds into UNC game (Feb 20, 2019) his Nike shoe failed, his foot ripped through, he sprained his knee; was held out of final six regular-season games.
Nike stock market reaction to shoe incident
Nike reportedly saw a roughly $1.1 billion market-value drop following the shoe failure incident.
ACC Tournament MVP and championship
Named ACC Tournament MVP after helping Duke win the tournament (March 2019); sixth freshman to win the award.
Returned vs Syracuse — perfect 13-for-13 shooting
Returned from injury in ACC quarterfinals (Mar 14, 2019), posted 29 points, 14 rebounds and 5 steals on 13-of-13 shooting — best shooting performance in school/tournament history.
ACC Tournament semifinal: game-winning 31 vs UNC
Scored 31 points including the game-winner to beat North Carolina 74–73 in ACC semifinal (Mar 15, 2019).
NCAA Tournament debut vs North Dakota State
Scored 25 points in Duke's NCAA Tournament opener (Mar 22, 2019).
32 points, 11 rebounds vs UCF (NCAA second round)
Erupted for 32 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists in a 77–76 win over UCF (Mar 24, 2019).
Season-ending Elite Eight loss to Michigan State
Led all scorers with 24 points and 14 rebounds in Duke's 68–67 loss in the Elite Eight (Mar 31, 2019).
Sweep of major college awards (2019 season)
Collected numerous college awards in 2019: AP Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Wayman Tisdale Award, Karl Malone Award, NABC Freshman of the Year, ACC Player/Rookie/Athlete of the Year among others.
Declared for the 2019 NBA Draft
Announced his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft (Apr 15, 2019) after one season at Duke.
Selected No. 1 overall in 2019 NBA Draft
Drafted first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA draft (June 20, 2019).
Signed rookie contract with New Orleans Pelicans
Officially signed with the Pelicans (July 1, 2019).
Signed 5-year, $75M Jordan Brand shoe deal
Announced a five-year, approximately $75 million deal with Jordan Brand (July 23, 2019), reported as the second-largest rookie shoe deal in history.
Tore meniscus in preseason
Suffered a torn meniscus in October 2019 during preseason, delaying his NBA debut.
Rookie season scoring streaks & rookie milestones
As a rookie (2019–20) recorded multiple 20+ point games, became first rookie since Michael Jordan to post 16 20-point games within first 20 contests; finished rookie season averaging 22.5 PPG.
NBA regular-season debut
Debuted for New Orleans on Jan 22, 2020: 22 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes; scored 17 straight points in a 3:08 stretch in 4th quarter.
Named to NBA All-Rookie First Team
Earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors (Sept 15, 2020) for 2019–20 season.
Extended streak of 20-pt/50% games
Compiled a streak of consecutive 20-point games on 50%-plus shooting that grew to 25 games, tying all-time marks and surpassing modern-era names.
Jones fracture in right foot (offseason) — surgery
Suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot in offseason of 2021 and underwent surgery; led to prolonged absence.
Career-high 36 with historic shooting efficiency
Scored a then career-high 36 points on 14-of-15 shooting (Feb 12, 2021), becoming the youngest player with 30+ points on 90% shooting.
Selected to first NBA All-Star Game
Named to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time (Feb 23, 2021), becoming one of the youngest All-Stars in league history.
Out for entire 2021–22 NBA season
Pelicans announced mid-March 2022 that Williamson would not play during the 2021–22 season because the foot injury was slow to heal.
Signed 5-year rookie extension (reported $193M guaranteed)
Signed a five-year rookie contract extension with the Pelicans on his 22nd birthday (July 6, 2022) reportedly worth $193M guaranteed, up to $231M with All-NBA condition.
Returned to action in preseason
Returned from extended injury layoff in preseason (Oct 4, 2022), scoring 13 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls.
Regular-season return vs Brooklyn Nets
Made regular-season return Oct 19, 2022 with 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in a win over the Nets.
30 points, matched career highs 15 rebounds & 8 assists
Recorded 30 points and matched career highs with 15 rebounds and 8 assists in a 117–99 win over San Antonio (Dec 2, 2022).
Named Western Conference Player of the Week
Earned his first NBA Player of the Week award for Week 8 (Dec 5–11), averaging 33.0 PPG and 8.3 RPG on 70.4% FG.
Career-high 43 points vs Timberwolves
Scored a then career-high 43 points in a 119–118 win over Minnesota (Dec 28, 2022).
Lost ~25 lbs after In-Season Tournament
Since the inaugural In-Season Tournament in 2023, Williamson reportedly lost approximately 25 pounds and improved his conditioning.
Sidelined with hamstring injury
Suffered a hamstring injury (Jan 2, 2023) that began another multi-week absence.
Selected to second NBA All-Star Game (unable to play)
Named to his second All-Star roster (Jan 26, 2023) but later replaced due to injury.
Missed remainder of 2022–23 regular season
Pelicans announced in early April 2023 that Williamson would miss the remainder of the regular season; he missed Pelicans' play-in loss to Oklahoma City.
Announced girlfriend's pregnancy
In June 2023, Williamson announced his girlfriend was pregnant and expecting a daughter in November.
Historic efficient 33-point game vs 76ers
Recorded 33 points on 11-of-12 FG and 11-of-12 FT plus eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in a win over Philadelphia (Nov 29, 2023).
Career cumulative NBA earnings milestone (reported)
By mid-2024 reports and databases indicated Williamson had earned tens of millions in salary and endorsements; career earnings estimates on public sites exceed $100M by 2024–25.
Game-winning layup vs San Antonio
Scored 33 points, eight rebounds and a game-winning layup in 114–113 win (Feb 2, 2024).
Play-in 40-point performance; postseason injury
Scored 40 points with 11 rebounds and 5 assists in a play-in loss to the Lakers (Apr 16, 2024); suffered injury in final minutes and missed remainder.
Returned from hamstring strain
Returned from an early-season left hamstring strain and scored 22 points in 27:49 of play (Jan 8, 2025).
Suspended one game by Pelicans
Suspended one game (Jan 10, 2025) for being late to a team flight; coach indicated multiple prior incidents contributed.
First career triple-double
Recorded first career triple-double: 27 points, a career-high then 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a win over Phoenix (Feb 27, 2025).
Second triple-double and new career-high assists
Posted another triple-double: 22 points, career-high 12 assists and 10 rebounds in win over Clippers (Mar 11, 2025).
Season-ending bone contusion in lower back
Sustained a bone contusion in lower back on Mar 19, 2025, ending his 2024–25 season after 30 games played.
Civil lawsuit alleging rape and domestic violence filed
On May 30, 2025 a civil lawsuit was filed accusing Williamson of rape, domestic violence and other allegations; matter reported publicly.
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