On July 6, 2000,[1] Williamson was born inSalisbury, North Carolina to Lateef Williamson and Sharonda Sampson.[3] Lateef Williamson was a footballdefensive lineman atMayo High School inDarlington, South Carolina, who was a High School All-American in 1993 and had committed toNC State before transferring toLivingstone College.[4][3] Sampson was asprinter at Livingstone and became a middle school health and physical education teacher.[3] She named Williamson after thebiblical locationMount Zion nearJerusalem, taking her grandmother's advice to name him "something extra special."[5] When Williamson reached two years of age, following the death of his maternal grandmother, his family moved toFlorence, South Carolina.[4][3] By the time he was five years old, his parents had divorced. His mother later married Lee Anderson, a formerClemson college basketball player.[6][4] In 2022, Williamson visited a church in New Orleans with his family.[7]
Besides basketball, Williamson playedsoccer and thequarterback position infootball.[5] When he was five years old, he set sights on becoming acollege basketball star. At age nine, Williamson began waking up every morning at 5 a.m. to train.[6] He competed in youth leagues with his mother Sharonda Sampson coaching and played for the Sumter Falcons on theAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, facing opponents four years older than he was.[4] Williamson later began working with his stepfather to improve his skills as apoint guard.[6] He joined the basketball team at Johnakin Middle School inMarion, South Carolina, where he was again coached by his mother and averaged 20 points per game. In middle school, Williamson was a point guard and lost only three games in two years.[6] In 2013, he guided Johnakin to an 8–1 record and a conference title.[8]
High school career
Freshman and sophomore seasons
Williamson attendedSpartanburg Day School, a smallK–12 private school inSpartanburg, South Carolina, where he played basketball for the Griffins.[5] Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).[4] In the summer leading up to his first season, Williamson practiced in the school gym and developed the ability to dunk.[9] At the time, he competed for the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as well, where he was teammates withJa Morant.[10] As a freshman, Williamson averaged 24.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks, earning All-State and All-Region honors.[11] He also led Spartanburg Day to aSouth Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) state championship game appearance.[12] In March 2015, Williamson took part in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game inSumter, South Carolina.[13] By his second year in high school, he stood 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).[12] In his sophomore season, Williamson averaged 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and 2.7 steals per game and was named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year.[14] He led the Griffins to their first SCISA Region I-2A title in program history.[5] In June 2016, Williamson participated in theNational Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Top 100 camp and was its leading scorer.[15] In August, he won theUnder Armour Elite 24 showcase dunk contest inNew York City.[16]
Junior season
As a junior, Williamson averaged 36.8 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game.[17] Starting in the 2016–17 season, Williamson was propelled into the national spotlight for hisviral highlight videos.[18] In a 73–53 victory over Gray Collegiate Academy at theChick-fil-A Classic on December 21, he posted a tournament-record 53 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 25-of-28 from the field.[19] On December 30, Williamson recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds to winmost valuable player (MVP) at the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic.[20] On January 15, 2017, he received nationwide publicity after rapperDrake wore his jersey in anInstagram post.[21]
Williamson surpassed the 2,000-point barrier on January 20, when he tallied 48 points againstOakbrook Preparatory School.[22] On February 14, he led Spartanburg Day past Oakbrook Prep for their first SCISA Region I-2A title, chipping in a game-high 37 points in a 105–49 rout. Williamson broke the state record for most 30-point games in a season, with 27 by the end of the regular season.[23] He repeated as SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year.[17] High school sports websiteMaxPreps named him National Junior of the Year and to the High School All-American first team, whileUSA Today High School Sports gave himAll-USA first team recognition.[24][25][26] In June, he appeared on the cover of basketball magazineSlam.[27]
Senior season
In his senior season, Williamson averaged 36.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.[28] On January 13, 2018, in a nationally televised game at the Hoophall Classic, he scored 36 points as his team lost toChino Hills High School.[29] On February 17, he posted 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals, while scoring his 3,000th career point, versus Spartanburg Christian Academy at the SCISA Region I-2A tournament.[30] One week later, Williamson guided Spartanburg Day to its third consecutive SCISA Region I-2A championship after recording 38 points againstTrinity Collegiate School.[31]
Wofford offered Williamson his first college basketball scholarship when he was a freshman in high school.[39] By the end of his sophomore season, he had received offers from 16NCAA Division I programs, includingClemson,Florida, andSouth Carolina.[14] On August 30, 2016, he received a scholarship offer fromDuke.[40] Entering his junior season, he was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked the number one player in the 2018 class by recruiting service247Sports.[41]
In a live ESPN telecast on January 20, 2018, Williamson committed to Duke.[42][43] He explained the decision, stating: "Duke stood out because the brotherhood represents a family. (Mike Krzyzewski) is just the most legendary coach that ever coached college basketball. I feel like going toDuke University, I can learn a lot from him."[43] Duke, who had landedRJ Barrett andCam Reddish in addition to Williamson, became the first team to land the top three recruits in a class since modern recruiting rankings began.[44] Williamson's stepfather, Lee Anderson, remarked that Clemson lost a "mile-and-a-half lead" in recruiting Williamson.[45]
On November 6, 2018, in his first regular season game with Duke, Williamson scored 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting in 23 minutes in a 118–84 win overKentucky at theChampions Classic.[46] In that game, he and teammate RJ Barrett each broke the Duke freshman debut scoring record set byMarvin Bagley III.[47] In his following game, a 94–72 victory overArmy, Williamson tallied 27 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks.[48] He became the second player in school history to record at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game.[49] Williamson was subsequently named both player and freshman of the week in theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[49]
On January 5, 2019, he had another strong performance versus Clemson, with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a 360-degree dunk in 22 minutes.[50] Two days later, Williamson earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for a second time.[51] On January 12, againstFlorida State, he was poked in the left eye by an opposing player towards the second half and missed the remainder of the game.[52] Williamson returned in Duke's next game, a 95–91overtime loss toSyracuse, and erupted for 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks.[53] He eclipsed the Duke freshman record for single-game points previously held by Marvin Bagley III andJJ Redick.[54] On January 21, Williamson collected his third ACC Freshman of the Week accolade.[55] One week later, he scored 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in an 81–63 victory overNotre Dame.[56] By recording nine 25-point games in the season, Williamson set a new Duke freshman record.[57] On February 4, 2019, Williamson was named ACC Freshman of the Week on his fourth occasion, while earning a National Player of the Week distinction from the Naismith Trophy.[58] He had his third 30-point game of the season on February 16, scoring 32 points in a 94–78 victory overNC State.[59] The performance helped him claim his second ACC Player of the Week and fifth ACC Freshman of the Week accolades.[60]
Williamson out with knee injury in February 2019
Williamson sits on the bench during a game versusVirginia Tech with an injury suffered from a broken shoe. He walks on the court during a media timeout.
In a February 20 game versusNorth Carolina, Williamson suffered a Grade 1 kneesprain 36 seconds into the contest after his foot ripped through hisNike shoe, causing him to slip.[61][62] He did not return to the game, which Duke lost, 88–72.[63] Nike saw the value of itsstock drop by $1.1 billion the following day as a result of the incident.[64][65] The injury resulted in criticism of the NCAA for not paying student-athletes.[66][67][68] Williamson was held out from the final six games of the regular season.[69] When the regular season concluded, Williamson earnedPlayer of the Year andRookie of the Year honors in the ACC, joining former Duke playersJahlil Okafor and Marvin Bagley III as the only recipients of both awards. Williamson was also namedACC Athlete of the Year, becoming the 10th Duke player to win the Award.[70] He additionally made the ACC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams.[71]Sporting News named Williamson as itsPlayer of the Year and Freshman of the Year.[72]
Williamson returned from injury on March 14, posting 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 steals in an 84–72 win over Syracuse in the quarterfinals of theACC tournament.[73] He shot 13-of-13 from the field, marking the best shooting performance in school and tournament history, while tying the record for the best shooting performance in ACC history.[74] Williamson also became the first Duke player to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game sinceChristian Laettner did so in 1992.[75] The next day, he scored 31 points (including the game-winning shot) to help Duke defeat North Carolina, 74–73, in the ACC Tournament semifinals.[76] After posting 21 points in a 73–63 victory over Florida State in the championship game, Williamson was named ACC Tournament MVP, becoming the sixth freshman to win the honor.[77]
For the2019 NCAA tournament, official broadcast partnerCBS specifically devoted a camera—called the "Zion Cam"—to record Williamson throughout the tournament.[78] In his NCAA Tournament debut on March 22, he scored 25 points in an 85–62 win over 16th-seededNorth Dakota State.[79] On March 24, Williamson erupted for 32 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in a 77–76 second-round victory overUCF.[80] Williamson led all scorers on March 31, with 24 points and 14 rebounds in a season-ending 68–67 loss toMichigan State in the Elite 8.[81] In 33 appearances in his freshman season, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.[82] He shot 68% from the field, which led the ACC, ranked second in the NCAA Division I, and was the highest-ever field goal percentage by a freshman.[83][84] In addition, Williamson joinedKevin Durant andAnthony Davis as one of the only freshmen in history to collect 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season.[84]
On April 15, 2019, Williamson declared his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft.[85]
Professional career
New Orleans Pelicans (2019–present)
2019–20 season: All-Rookie honors
On June 20, 2019, theNew Orleans Pelicans drafted Williamson with the first pick in the2019 NBA draft.[86][87][88] On July 1, 2019, Williamson officially signed with the Pelicans.[89] Williamson tore hismeniscus on October 13, 2019, during the preseason of his rookie campaign.[90] Williamson made his professional debut three months later on January 22, 2020, in a 121–117 loss to theSan Antonio Spurs. He played 18 minutes and finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds, scoring 17 consecutive points in 3:08 minutes during the fourth quarter.[91]
In his first eight games, Williamson scored at least 20 points in four consecutive games, the longest streak by any rookie of the season; he also tied the longest streak in the Pelicans franchise history, scoring at least 20 points in six of his eight games, and tying the record for the seventh-most among all rookies (fellow rookieJa Morant had the most with 19) after a 125–119 win over theChicago Bulls on February 7.[92] On February 24, he led the Pelicans to a 115–101 win over theGolden State Warriors. With 28 points on 13/20 shooting in a season-high 33 minutes of play, Williamson was just one game behindCarmelo Anthony for most consecutive 20-point games as a teenager at 8.[93] He would later become the first teenager in NBA history to score at least 20 points in 10 consecutive games.[94] On March 1, Williamson scored then career-high 35 points, along with 7 rebounds, in a 122–114 loss to theLos Angeles Lakers.[95]
Williamson finished his rookie season averaging 22.5 points on 58.3 percent shooting from the floor, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He ranked first among all rookies in points per game, second in rebounds per game and first in offensive rebounds per game. He became the first rookie sinceMichael Jordan to post 16 20-point games within their first 20 contests while also logging the highest scoring average through his first 24 career NBA games since Jordan in 1983.[96] On September 15, Williamson was named to theNBA All-Rookie First Team.[96][97][98]
2020–21 season: First All-Star selection
On February 12, 2021, Williamson scored a then career high 36 points in a 143–130 defeat against theDallas Mavericks; he finished the game on 14-of-15 shooting from the field, making him the youngest player in NBA history with 30 points on 90 percent shooting.[99] On February 23, 2021, Williamson was selected into his firstNBA All-Star Game.[2] On March 21, 2021, Williamson scored 30 points and 6 rebounds in a 113–108 win over theDenver Nuggets.[100]
During the season, Williamson tiedKareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for the longest streak of at least 20-point games on 50-percent shooting within his first two seasons since the shot clock era in 1954–55. The streak eventually grew to 25 consecutive games, surpassing Hall-of-FamersWilt Chamberlain andKarl Malone[101][102] while tyingShaquille O'Neal's record of 25 consecutive such games,[103] with no other player having had a longer streak since the three-point era in 1980; his streak of 20-points games on 50-percent shooting and attempt to surpass O'Neal's record ended in a 139–111 loss to theBrooklyn Nets on April 7.[104]
2021–22 season: Surgery and year absence
During the off-season, Williamson suffered aJones fracture in his right foot and underwent a subsequent surgery. In late-September, team officials were hopeful that he would be ready to return by the start of the season.[105] By mid-October, the timeline for his expected return was extended until December.[106] In mid-December, it was announced that the injury was slow to heal and he would most likely be out another four to six weeks with a possible return to action around the all-star break.[107] In mid-March, it was announced that Williamson would not play that season.[108]
2022–23 season: Contract extension and season-ending injury
On July 6, 2022, Williamson signed a five-year rookie extension with theNew Orleans Pelicans worth $193 million guaranteed, increasing to $231 million if he made anAll-NBA team in the 2022–2023 season.[109] Williamson made his return from injury on October 4, 2022, putting up 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a 129–125 preseason win over theChicago Bulls.[110]
On October 19, Williamson made his regular season return, putting up 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals in a 130–108 win over theBrooklyn Nets.[111] On December 2, Williamson scored 30 points and matched career highs with 15 rebounds and eight assists in an 117–99 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[112] On December 9, Zion put up a then season-high 35 points, along with seven rebounds, four steals, and one block in a 126–117 win against thePhoenix Suns. A final dunk he made in the last seconds of the game caused an altercation between the Pelicans and Suns.[113] On December 12, Williamson was named the NBA Western ConferencePlayer of the Week for Week 8 (December 5–11), his firstNBA Player of the Week award. He led New Orleans to an undefeated 3–0 week with averages of 33.0 points and 8.3 rebounds on 70.4% shooting from the field.[114] On December 28, Williamson put up a career-high 43 points in a 119–118 win over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[115] Williamson was sidelined on January 2, 2023, with a hamstring injury. At first, team officials were hopeful that he would be ready to return by the end of January.[116] On January 26, 2023, Williamson was selected for his secondNBA All-Star appearance.[117] However, due to his unavailability, Williamson was replaced byAnthony Edwards.[118] On February 13, team officials indicated that Williamson would miss multiple weeks after the All-Star break.[119] Subsequently, team officials confirmed in early April that Williamson would miss the remainder of the regular season.[120] Subsequently, Williamson sat out the Pelicans appearance in theirplay-in game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which New Orleans lost, ending their season.[121]
2023–24 season: Return from injury
On November 29, 2023, Williamson recorded 33 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field, 11-of-12 from the free throw line along with eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in a 124–114 win over thePhiladelphia 76ers.[122]On February 2, 2024, Williamson put up 33 points, eight rebounds, and a game-winning layup in a 114–113 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[123] On April 16, Williamson in his first play-in appearance scored 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 5 assists in a 110–106 loss against theLos Angeles Lakers. His NBA postseason debut was cut short by an injury in the final minutes of the game.[124]
2024–25 season: Further struggles with injuries
Though Williamson was healthy to begin the regular season, he sustained an early season left hamstring strain which caused him to miss 27 games.[125] He made his return from injury on January 8, 2025, scoring 22 points in just under 28 minutes in a 104–97 loss to the Timberwolves.[126] On January 10, the team suspended him for one game due to being late for a team flight. Pelicans head coachWillie Green stated "There were several occasions that led up" to Williamson's suspension.[126] On February 27, Williamson put up his first career triple-double with 27 points, a then career-high 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 124–116 win over thePhoenix Suns.[127] On March 11, he put up another triple-double, recording 22 points, a career-high 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 127–120 win over theLos Angeles Clippers.[128] On March 19, he sustained a bone contusion in his lower back, ending his season at just 30 games played.[129]
Player profile
Williamson goes in for a slam dunk againstHartford, December 2018
Williamson is listed at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall and weighs 284 pounds (129 kg).[130][131] Despite his heavy weight for a basketball player, he is known for his speed andleaping ability.[132][133] NBA playerKevin Durant described him as a "once-in-a-generation type athlete" while an anonymouscollege basketball coach labeled him a "freak of nature."[134][135] Williamson plays thepower forward position but is also capable of being asmall-ballcenter.[136] He has been described as not fitting a specificbasketball position.[137] His physical attributes have drawn comparisons to former NBA starsCharles Barkley,Anthony Mason, andLarry Johnson.[138][139] In addition, according to different analysts, he resembles NBA playersLeBron James andJulius Randle.[137] Lee Sartor, Williamson's high school coach, reported that basketball coachRoy Williams told Williamson "that he was probably one of the best high school players he's seen since Michael Jordan."[140] Williamson, who isleft-handed, is almostambidextrous.[137]
While in high school, Williamson drew national attention for hisslam dunks.[141]The Charlotte Observer remarked that he "could be the best high-school dunker in history."[142] NBA point guardJohn Wall has likened Williamson's in-game dunking ability to that ofVince Carter.[143] Williamson's outside shooting has been considered a point of concern, and he has unorthodox shot mechanics.[4][9][144] Recruiting service247Sports has praised hisball handling and passing skills for his size, commenting that they are "overshadowed by [his] athletic plays."[145] Williamson has the ability to defend multiple positions well due to his speed and length, although his defensive effort has been questioned.[146] He is a skilledshot-blocker andrebounder.[147]
At various points during his NBA career, Williamson has received criticism in the media from basketball observers who perceive him to be overweight.[148][149][150][151] Prior to the start of the 2021–2022 season, Williamson's weight increased to over 300 lbs.[150] Williamson lost weight in 2022.[152] In 2023, however, retired basketball playersCharles Barkley andShaquille O'Neal each expressed concerns about Williamson's weight.[153][154] Williamson's 2022 contract extension with the New Orleans Pelicans provides for salary reductions in the event that Williamson fails to maintain his weight and body fat percentage at specified levels.[155]
Since the inaugural In-Season Tournament during the 2023 season, Williamson has seen significant improvements to his physique, losing 25 lbs.[156]
Endorsements
On July 23, 2019, Williamson signed a five-year, $75 million shoe deal withJordan brand.[157] Williamson's deal is the second-largest rookie shoe deal in history, trailing only LeBron James's $90 million rookie deal signed in 2003.[158]
In June 2023, Williamson announced his girlfriend's pregnancy in a baby shower YouTube video with the couple expecting a daughter due in November.[160] This announcement led adult film star Moriah Mills to claim onTwitter that she had a recent affair with Williamson.[161]
On May 30, 2025, Williamson was accused of rape and domestic violence in a civil lawsuit filed by a woman who claimed to have dated him for five years.[162] Williamson allegedly forced her to sleep with him, filmed her without her consent and threatened to spread the photos if she left, and threatened to have his security shoot her and her family.[163]
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