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“Zion Williamson really impressed LeBron James with that unreal block”: When the Duke star displayed his athleticism with a surreal block while the Lakers MVP was in attendance

Advait Jajodia
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“Zion Williamson really impressed LeBron James with that unreal block”: When the Duke star displayed his athleticism with a surreal block while the Lakers MVP was in attendance

During his Duke days, Zion Williamson had one of the craziest blocks of all time, leaving LeBron James in awe of the then-18-year-old.

Zion Williamson is among the brightest young talents in the league. Undoubtedly, Zion will be one of the future faces of the league. What the 21-year-old phenom has achieved in his first two years in the league, has been done by a few very set of all-time greats. Despite having the added pressure of being the “next LeBron James”, Williamson has tremendously been surpassing all the surreal expectations set on him.

This past 2020-2021 NBA season, the 6-foot-7 forward was absolutely terrific. Improving the majority of his stats from his rookie season, the All-Star put up 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists on a historic 61.1% shooting from the field.

In only his first two years in the league, “Zanos” has proved to be one of the league’s most dominant players and also manages to bully his opponents by toying with them on the court. However, recording highlight plays on a nightly basis is nothing new for Zion.

Also Read: When the Pelicans sensation almost deflated the ball during a college game

Back in 2019, when Williamson was still playing under legendary Coach K for the Duke Blue Devils, Zion had numerous jaw-dropping plays every other game. However, this one time, the then-18-year-old managed to somewhat defy the laws of physics handing Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter with one of the most disrespectful blocks of all time. And guess who was the special guest attending that very game? 4-time NBA MVP LeBron James.

LeBron James was left stunned after Zion Williamson had one of the most disrespectful blocks of all time

On 10th February 2019, Zion Williamson and his Duke team were hosted by the #2 ranked Virginia Cavaliers at the John Paul Jones Arena. In a comfortable 81-71 victory over the Cavaliers, Zion had an impressive 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists performance. And during that very game, the 284-pound beast had one of the most brutal blocks we’ve ever seen.

During the dying minutes of the game, Williamson displayed his insane athleticism and vertical, jumped nearly from the edge of the paint to reject De’Andre Hunter’s corner three-point attempt.

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It is safe to say that LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, two of the thousands in attendance, were left in awe. LeBron, who was attending his first-ever Duke game, spoke about Zion a few days after the Blue Devils-Cavaliers game. James told ESPN:

“I can relate in a sense of he’s been covered since he was in high school and everybody is trying to compare him to the next this or the next that. But the best thing I’ve noticed is he seems like a good kid. He seems like he’s got his head on straight.”

“That’s the type of s— that strikes me. Everybody gets so caught up in the game itself. I look at the intangibles. And he seems like he has great intangibles and seems like a great kid.”

“What strikes me? His agility and his quickness. For his size, how strong he is, to be able to move like the way he moves, he’s very impressive. I mean, everybody can see the athleticism. That’s obviously, that’s ridiculous. But the speed and the quickness that he moves [with] at that size is very impressive.”

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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