Zion dazzles early in summer season debut, sits 2nd half

LAS VEGAS — Zion Williamson’s first NBA present was a sellout.

And it ended sooner than the followers wished.

The No. 1 total draft decide by the New Orleans Pelicans did not hold his adoring new public ready for his show of dunks and energy. With tickets commanding greater than $500 on the resale markets all through the day from these determined to be a part of the group — one which included LeBron James and Floyd Mayweather — Williamson took the ground as a professional for the primary time Friday evening on the NBA Summer time League, scoring 11 factors in 9 first-half minutes towards the New York Knicks and fellow former Duke star RJ Barrett.

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However Williamson did not play within the second half due to a knee-to-knee hit, and followers who had been chanting “We would like Zion! We would like Zion!” weren’t going to get any greater than these first 9 minutes.

So the occasion — perhaps the most well liked ticket in Vegas on an evening when Reba McEntire and Brooks and Dunn had been doing their factor at Caesars Palace, Gwen Stefani was at Planet Hollywood and Wiz Khalifa was taking part in a late present at a nightclub — ended sooner than anybody anticipated.

“Clearly, the man we drafted put a buzz within the air for everyone in right here,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry stated.

That he did.

It might be inaccurate to say the entire NBA was watching. It solely appeared that method.

James was in a baseline seat, just a few spots to the precise of San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan. Mayweather arrived a couple of minutes earlier than sport time. Trae Younger of the Atlanta Hawks was there and so was Lonzo Ball — James’ teammate with the Lakers, till the commerce that sends him to New Orleans as a part of the Anthony Davis swap occurs on Saturday. Davis arrived in the midst of the primary quarter, sitting for a couple of minutes with James and agent Wealthy Paul, watching the Pelicans on what might be his final evening as a Pelican.

James arrived for the Lakers-Bulls sport that preceded the Pelicans-Knicks matchup, and gave his soon-to-be-former teammate Ball an enormous hug between video games. It made sense that he was there for the Lakers. And it was no shock that he stayed to see Williamson.

“I’ve by no means met him,” James stated.

Requested if he’d be prepared to supply Williamson counsel, since he could be one of many few individuals in NBA historical past to enter the professional ranks amid such fanfare, James stated he’d fortunately supply no matter he might.

“My line is open,” stated James, the No. 1 decide 16 years earlier.

The Pelicans tried a lob to Williamson on the primary play after the faucet, and he received cheered for getting fouled. Then once more, he additionally received cheered for coming onto the ground for warmups, for dunks within the layup line and when his title received launched because the fifth and closing starter for the Pelicans within the pregame introductions. They even cheered when he would get off the bench to return into the sport.

“We’re not going to do something loopy with him,” Gentry stated. “This provides you a chance to check out the pace of the sport and issues like that. That is actually all you study from this.”

There had been two sellouts in NBA Summer time League historical past in Vegas earlier than Friday.

Then Friday bought out.

And Saturday has as nicely.

Sunday hasn’t but. Motive? Williamson is not taking part in that day. The Pelicans play once more Saturday evening towards Rui Hachimura and Washington. Summer time League has gotten greater and larger annually, however The Zion Issue could be very actual — and a league that set an attendance document in Vegas final summer season is nicely on its method already to smashing that mark this 12 months.

“Individuals wish to be a part of one thing huge and particular,” stated Warren LeGarie, the summer season league’s govt director. “And Zion loves the sport. My accomplice Albert Corridor, the brains of this operation, he ran Adidas Nations and Zion was with him since he was 14 years previous. He has an image of Zion in a bathtub of ice as a result of he is overheating as a result of he liked to play a lot.”

And on Friday, in the end, he was within the NBA.