“Zion Williamson will become the face of the NBA!”: Kendrick Perkins firmly believes Pelicans superstar will reach LeBron James-level status soon enough

Kendrick Perkins takes to Twitter to say that he believes New Orleans Pelicans star, Zion Williamson, will become the face of the NBA. 

With guys like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant in their mid to late 30s, they are bound to exit the league in about 5-7 years.

These players have represented the NBA for decades now and have become synonymous with legends that are present in the uppermost echelons of league history. 

With them retiring soon enough, young guys around the league need to take up the mantle of becoming the “face of the NBA”. Players that resonate not just across the United States, but around the world.

There has been a decent amount of international talent pouring into the league with the likes of Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo cementing themselves as the ones who are ‘next up’.

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However, according to Kendrick Perkins, a force down in New Orleans named Zion Williamson trumps all other young players in the league, when it comes to deciding who will be the most prominent NBA star for the next 10+ years. 

Kendrick Perkins says Zion Williamson will become the face of the NBA 

The former number 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft burst onto the scene as a force to be reckoned with. With nearly 280lbs of pure muscle, Zion Williamson bullies his way around the basket, embarrassing guys like Rudy Gobert and Myles Turner. 

His unique skillset coupled with sheer dominance has urged Kendrick Perkins to definitively claim that Zion will be the face of the NBA one day. 

It’s a lot of young special players in the NBA but Zion Williamson will be the FACE of the League! Carry on… pic.twitter.com/z20TnzSQJQ

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 12, 2021

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Zion has been hyped as the next LeBron James since he was 15 years old. With the bar being set as high as that, it seemed impossible that the Pelicans star could live up to that sort of an expectation. It may be too early to say he exceeded expectations, but he has most certainly lived up to it. 

Statlines such as 32 points on 14-17 shooting from the field have become regular for the former Duke Blue Devil. The efficiency mixed along with his court vision and handles has put Zion on the cusp of the NBA’s top 15.

Being the face of the NBA would mean the player would have to be marketable everywhere from Detroit, Michigan to Mumbai, India. Only a handful of guys like Steph Curry, LeBron James, and now Luka Doncic have been able to achieve such a feat.

With the way Zion Williamson’s hype increases as the season progresses, it would be no surprise that Zion merch starts to fly off counters in the next few years.