Zion Williamson: The unfortunate tragedy of a wounded Titan

The Zion Williamson story is dangerously close to a complete disaster.

Do you remember the excitement going into the 2019 NBA Draft?

I remember it clear as day. The buzz surrounding this draft class was one that had rarely been seen. It dominated NBA discourse for a time. It felt like the entire basketball landscape was collectively holding its breath as it counted down the days until draft night. At the epicenter of the seismic night was one name.

Zion Williamson

The North Carolina native and Duke prospect was the clear-cut headliner of this draft. Even if you had never watched college basketball a day in your life, you knew this young man’s name. If you were a basketball fan on the internet during the summer of 2019, you were no doubt bombarded by an endless barrage of highlight reel plays from Zion.

The dust kicked up during the Duke-Michigan State matchup in that year’s March Madness tournament had barely settled before analysts began comparing Zion Williamson to LeBron James. This itself was not a new phenomenon. Many prospects have been compared to King James before entering the league, including Ben Simmons.

Needless to say, being compared to arguably the greatest ever can be as much a curse as a blessing. Nevertheless, the NBA awaited the arrival of its newest potential titan with bated breath.