Duke basketball: Four benefits Zion Williamson clearly took from Coach K
By Matt Giles
Four benefits Zion Williamson clearly took from Duke basketball: MOTIVATION
One could argue that just being a Duke basketball player forced the friendly-by-nature Zion Williamson to have a bit more bite to his swagger. After all, despite many of the Blue Devils’ enemies eventually forgiving the Spartanburg, S.C., product for opting to play under Mike Krzyzewski, it’s evident some of those who somehow still express doubt over his potential for greatness do so purely out of their indestructible disdain for his college choice.
Shortly after Williamson left Durham and became the No. 1 overall pick at the 2019 NBA Draft, the official Duke basketball account tweeted a clip of the NCAA legend recounting the ways Krzyzewski helped fuel his desire to improve:
“Playing for Coach K is the greatest because he is the greatest coach of all time. He wanted to send a message to the world that I wasn’t just a dunker. So he pushed me to shoot threes, midrange jumpers, show my defensive side. He pushed me to be a better player every day. Whenever I felt comfortable where I was at, he pushed me a little harder. He’d break the game down in a way that you would think, wow, is it really that simple?”
https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1158096013992833025
It really is this simple: all the family, limelight, advice, and motivation that Williamson raked in while at Duke should go down as the truly priceless, everlasting benefits that only Coach K could’ve had the means to perfectly deliver all in less than a year.
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