Duke basketball: Four benefits Zion Williamson clearly took from Coach K
By Matt Giles
Four benefits Zion Williamson clearly took from Duke basketball: ADVICE
One increasingly difficult thing to find in this world is advice from people who don’t just have their own selfish interests in mind. Before making his impressive NBA debut in January, as a guest on The JJ Redick Podcast, Zion Williamson disclosed to his fellow Brotherhood member and current New Orleans Pelicans teammate a story, the substance of which implies the 19-year-old will continue to call upon the mind of Mike Krzyzewski as life decisions arise:
“I wanted to go back [to Duke for my sophomore year]. Nobody ever believes me. They think I’m just saying that. I genuinely wanted to go back. I felt like the NBA wasn’t going anywhere. The money thing, that’s money. I don’t play this for money. I play this because I genuinely love the game. I just loved my experience at Duke so much that I wanted to stay. But it was one of those situations where Coach K is not going to let me come back. He wants me to do what’s best for my family.”
Beyond just the no-brainer advice at that time to cash in, pronto, on his unique blend of size, athleticism, and skills, Coach K guided Williamson to expand his arsenal on the court by thinking beyond any self-manufactured limits. But we’ll incorporate that advice into the final obvious benefit that the not-just-a-dunker took away from his days as a Blue Devil…