History of Zion Williamson in Timeline
Zion Williamson is a professional basketball player currently playing for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA. Drafted first overall in 2019 after a year at Duke, Williamson quickly made an impact, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in 2020. Known for his athleticism and powerful playing style as a power forward, he became one of the youngest NBA All-Stars in 2021, solidifying his status as a rising star in the league.
1954: Tying Abdul-Jabbar's record
In 1954, Zion Williamson tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for the longest streak of at least 20-point games on 50-percent shooting within his first two seasons since the shot clock era.
1980: Streak surpassing Hall-of-Famers
In 1980, Zion Williamson's streak eventually grew to 25 consecutive games, surpassing Hall-of-Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone while tying Shaquille O'Neal's record of 25 consecutive such games, with no other player having had a longer streak since the three-point era.
1983: Jordan's Scoring Average
In 1983, Michael Jordan had a high scoring average.
1992: Christian Laettner's performance
In 1992, Christian Laettner had a similar performance to Zion, recording at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game.
1993: Lateef Williamson's All-American Honor
In 1993, Lateef Williamson, Zion's father, was a High School All-American in football.
July 6, 2000: Zion Williamson's Birth
On July 6, 2000, Zion Lateef Williamson was born.
2003: LeBron James' Rookie Deal
In 2003, Lebron James signed a $90 million rookie deal.
2013: Johnakin Conference Title
In 2013, Zion Williamson guided Johnakin Middle School to an 8-1 record and a conference title.
March 2015: SCISA North-South All-Star Game
In March 2015, Zion Williamson participated in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game in Sumter, South Carolina.
June 2016: NBPA Top 100 Camp Leading Scorer
In June 2016, Zion Williamson participated in the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Top 100 camp and was its leading scorer.
August 30, 2016: Scholarship Offer From Duke
On August 30, 2016, Duke offered Zion Williamson a scholarship.
2016: Viral Highlight Videos
Starting in the 2016-17 season, Zion Williamson's highlight videos went viral.
January 15, 2017: Drake Wears Williamson's Jersey
On January 15, 2017, Zion Williamson received nationwide publicity after rapper Drake wore his jersey in an Instagram post.
2017: High School Season Awards
For the 2017-18 high school season, Williamson was named to the USA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American second team.
January 13, 2018: Hoophall Classic Game
On January 13, 2018, Zion Williamson scored 36 points in a nationally televised game at the Hoophall Classic.
January 20, 2018: Commitment to Duke
On January 20, 2018, Zion Williamson committed to Duke University.
November 6, 2018: Duke Debut Scoring Record
On November 6, 2018, Zion Williamson scored 28 points in his debut game for Duke, breaking the Duke freshman debut scoring record.
2018: Ranked Number One Player
Entering his junior season, Zion Williamson was ranked the number one player in the 2018 class.
2018: McDonald's All-American Game
In 2018, Zion Williamson played in the McDonald's All-American Game.
2018: High School Ranking
In 2018, Zion Williamson was ranked as one of the top five players in his class.
January 5, 2019: Strong Performance vs Clemson
On January 5, 2019, Zion Williamson had a strong performance versus Clemson, with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a 360-degree dunk in 22 minutes.
January 2019: Duke Freshman Scoring Record
In January 2019, Zion Williamson set the single-game school scoring record for freshmen at Duke.
February 4, 2019: ACC Freshman of the Week
On February 4, 2019, Zion Williamson was named ACC Freshman of the Week.
April 15, 2019: NBA Draft Eligibility Declaration
On April 15, 2019, Zion Williamson declared his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft.
June 20, 2019: Drafted by Pelicans
On June 20, 2019, Zion Williamson was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
July 1, 2019: Signed with Pelicans
On July 1, 2019, Zion Williamson officially signed with the New Orleans Pelicans.
July 23, 2019: Signing with Jordan Brand
On July 23, 2019, Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $75 million shoe deal with Jordan brand.
October 13, 2019: Tore Meniscus
On October 13, 2019, Zion Williamson tore his meniscus during the preseason.
2019: NCAA Tournament Debut
In the 2019 NCAA tournament, Zion Williamson made his debut and played exceptionally well.
2019: NBA Season Suspension
The 2019-20 NBA season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
January 22, 2020: Professional Debut
On January 22, 2020, Zion Williamson made his professional debut with 22 points against the San Antonio Spurs.
March 13, 2020: Pledging Salaries for Arena Employees
On March 13, 2020, Zion Williamson pledged to pay for the salaries of all the employees of the Smoothie King Center for 30 days during the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
February 12, 2021: Career High Points
On February 12, 2021, Zion Williamson scored a then career high 36 points against the Dallas Mavericks.
February 23, 2021: NBA All-Star Selection
On February 23, 2021, Zion Williamson was selected into his first NBA All-Star Game.
March 21, 2021: Win Over Nuggets
On March 21, 2021, Zion Williamson scored 30 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets.
2021: Weight Increase
In 2021, Zion Williamson's weight increased to over 300 lbs.
July 6, 2022: Signing Rookie Extension
On July 6, 2022, Zion Williamson signed a five-year rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans worth $193 million guaranteed, increasing to $231 million if he made an All-NBA team in the 2022–2023 season.
October 4, 2022: Return from Injury
On October 4, 2022, Zion Williamson made his return from injury, putting up 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a 129–125 preseason win over the Chicago Bulls.
January 2, 2023: Sidelined with Hamstring Injury
On January 2, 2023, Zion Williamson was sidelined with a hamstring injury, with team officials initially hopeful for a return by the end of January.
January 26, 2023: NBA All-Star Selection
On January 26, 2023, Zion Williamson was selected for his second NBA All-Star appearance but was later replaced due to unavailability.
June 2023: Affair Allegations
In June 2023, following the announcement of his girlfriend's pregnancy, adult film star Moriah Mills claimed on Twitter that she had a recent affair with Zion Williamson.
November 29, 2023: 33 Points Against 76ers
On November 29, 2023, Zion Williamson recorded 33 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field, 11-of-12 from the free throw line along with eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in a 124–114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
2023: All-NBA Team Potential
In 2023, Zion Williamson's rookie extension would increase to $231 million if he made an All-NBA team in the 2022-2023 season.
2023: Concerns about Weight
In 2023, retired basketball players Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal each expressed concerns about Zion Williamson's weight.
2023: Significant Physique Improvements
Since the inaugural In-Season Tournament during the 2023 season, Zion Williamson has seen significant improvements to his physique, losing 25 lbs.
February 2, 2024: Game-Winning Layup Against Spurs
On February 2, 2024, Zion Williamson put up 33 points, eight rebounds, and a game-winning layup in a 114–113 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
January 8, 2025: Return From Hamstring Strain
On January 8, 2025, Zion Williamson returned from a left hamstring strain, scoring 22 points in a loss to the Timberwolves.
