6ft 6″ Zion Williamson Joins Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an Exclusive Club

Arjun Julka | 08/12/2022
6ft 6" Zion Williamson Joins Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an Exclusive Club

Coming off their 5th straight win, the New Orleans Pelicans emerged victorious over the sluggish Detroit Pistons. An energized Zion Williamson had the home crowd on its feet, bullying his way through the paint as the opposition resorted to all types of physical plays.

Williamson notched a game-high 29-point double-double, shooting an efficient 11-for-16 from the field. The Pelicans forward has been on a tear off-late, stepping up amid the absence of Brandon Ingram, who has been out for the last 5-games due to a foot injury.

Currently, the no.1 seed in the west, the Pelicans are looking like a strong playoff contender, especially with players like Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III bursting onto the scene, along with formidable players like CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas.

Also read: “How Much Weight Did Zion Williamson Lose?”: NBA Twitter Poses Question as Pelicans Star Steals The Show

Nonetheless, Williamson remains the deciding factor for the New Orleans franchise. The most recent example of this being the former Duke sensation joining the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Zion Williamson joins Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an exclusive club.

Though he isn’t a 7-footer like Shaq or Kareem, Williamson is a freak of nature, standing at 6ft 6″ and weighing 284 lbs. An unstoppable force in the paint, the 22-year-old is bringing the bully ball culture back into the league, which is otherwise obsessed with 3-point shooting.

In his 3-seasons so far, Williamson has averaged 25.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, shooting a highly efficient 60.3% from the field, by doing so, he has joined the ranks of Lakers legends Shaq and Kareem.

An impressive milestone for the Pelicans forward, whose’s efforts in the gym this past summer seem to be bearing fruit.

Durability continues to be a concern for Zion Williamson.

The 1st pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson, was selected by the Pelicans, playing a mere 26 games in his rookie season, rehabbing from a torn right lateral meniscus. Nonetheless, the former ACC Athlete of the Year would put the league on notice in his sophomore year.

Selected to play the All-Star game in 2021, Williamson was present in 61 out of the 72 games in the shortened 2021-22 season. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come as the Pelicans forward would fracture his foot, leading to him sitting out the entire 2021-22 season.

What followed was constant scrutiny and criticism as a visibly overweight Williamson sat on the bench.  Nevertheless, the 6ft 6″ forward would silence all his naysayers, returning in great shape once the current season kicked off.

Also read: “It’s Like Stopping Stephen Curry From Shooting 3s!”: Zion Williamson Compares His ‘Unguardable’ Move to 2022 Finals MVP’s Shooting

 

Post Edited By: Adit Pujari
Kareem Abdul Jabbar New Orleans Pelicans Shaquille O'Neal Zion Williamson

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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