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“Not Michael Jordan or Shaquille O’Neal, but only Zion Williamson has achieved this”: Amid signing a $193 million extension, stat highlights that NOLA star is averaging 25 points on 60% FG

Advait Jajodia
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“Not Michael Jordan or Shaquille O’Neal, but only Zion Williamson has achieved this”: Amid signing a $193 million extension, stat highlights that NOLA star is averaging 25 points on 60% FG

Zion Williamson is the only player in league history to average a staggering 25+ points on 60% shooting from the field throughout his career.

Earlier in the day, Zion Williamson signed the deal of his life, agreeing to a five-year rookie max contract extension worth $193 million with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, if the young forwards manages to make any of the All-NBA Teams, win the MVP, or lift the DPOY trophy, “Zanos” would get a massive $38 million bonus, potentially boosting his contract up to a staggering $231 million.

While Williamson becomes one of the eight superstars in the league to sign a max contract in the first two days of free agency, there are several analysts and enthusiasts who believe that the Pels shouldn’t have offered their All-Star such big a deal.

Since getting drafted as the #1 pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has averaged a staggering 25.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting the ball at a ridiculous 60% from the field. However, due to several injuries, the former Duke Blue Devil has played merely 85 games in his young career and was even sidelined for the entire 2021-2022 campaign.

Also Read: NBA Twitter’s hilarious reaction to Pelicans star signing max rookie extension deal

Yes, it does seem like a huge gamble that the NOLA front office has decided to take. But if anything, whenever Williamson has taken on the floor, he has only shown sparks of being an all-time great.

Zion Williamson has the second-most points scored in the history of the game through the first 85 games of their career

Agreed, Zion has missed several games and is even injury-prone. However, there is absolutely no doubt that Zion is a generational talent.

In his first-ever campaign, the southpaw joined Shaquille O’Neal as only the 2nd rookie ever to average 20+ points on a minimum of 55% shooting from the field.

The highflyer made huge strides in his second campaign, averaging a stellar 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on an extremely efficient 61.1% from the field, and earned All-Star honors.

Also, Zion Williamson (2,187) has even recorded the 2nd most points in NBA history through their first 85 career games in the past 40 years, trailing only Michael Jordan (2,387 points).

At one point in the 2020-2021 campaign, the 6-foot-6 slasher also tied Blake Griffin as the fastest player in history to record 1,000 career points among active players.

And the most impressive stat of all:  the 21-year-old is the only player in NBA history to average more than 25 points per game while scoring the ball at a highly efficient 55% from the field.

This past campaign, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas lead NOLA to their first postseason appearance in 4 years. Adding a healthy Zion to that line-up will surely promise some damage, and make them one of the legit contenders.

Also Read: Bulls Legend flexes $2.1 billion net worth by sporting another crazy Urwerk timepiece

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,350+ articles.

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