Duke basketball: Zion Williamson returns with message for fans

Duke basketball alum Zion Williamson is as genuine as they come.

He’s back. Over the weekend, Duke basketball legend Zion Williamson returned to Durham, his forever home away from home.

And on Tuesday, the former one-and-done power forward and Naismith Player of the Year, who is now a few years into his pro career with the New Orleans Pelicans after going No. 1 overall at the 2019 NBA Draft, soaked up the atmosphere of his old dunking grounds inside the program’s practice facility.

Of course, Williamson found time to hang out on the sidelines with first-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer:

Zion Williamson’s sincere check-in with Duke basketball faithful

With the camera in hand, Zion Williamson gave his forever fans a heartfelt message while displaying his patented infectious smile:

“What’s up, Duke fans? I’m back home — yet again. Man, it’s always good to be back here. I’m just here to get some work in and have fun. I even went to my class’s graduation that I would have been a part of; sadly, I wasn’t because I got offered my job right out of my first year, lucky for me. But it’s always good to be back. Duke is gonna be in my heart, always and forever.”

Although Duke’s Twitter account did not provide any supporting video evidence, one of its tweets implied that Zion Williamson — in typical Zion Williamson fashion — wowed all spectators in the building with his “signature dunk package”:

Speaking of unexplainable air time, before a New Orleans Pelicans home win over the San Antonio Spurs in mid-April, the 21-year-old let the world see that despite naysayers’ jokes about his weight and health, he can still casually activate his 360 hops at a moment’s notice:

Zion Williamson was out of action for the entire 2021-22 season while recovering from a broken right foot. However, as an NBA sophomore in the previous campaign, the 6-foot-6, 285-pound flying bulldozer averaged a ridiculous 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field, making his first All-Star Game appearance in the process.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball news and views.