Are We...Dancing?
Hello Brooklyn
It's a partly cloudy 72-degree night in Brooklyn, New York, a City synonymous with being the birthplace of what some consider the greatest rapper of all time, Jay Z, the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, and the most imposing boxer of all time in Mike Tyson. On this night, there's a teenager laced in an off-white shawl-collar tuxedo paired with a corresponding white tuxedo shirt and a gold Rolex Day Date watch on his left wrist, a timepiece adored by many celebrities and athletes, that has the attention not only of the City but of the World. Unbeknownst to him, there Is a gathering in a City 1,314.6 miles away known as the birthplace of Lil Wayne, Football's royal family, the Mannings, and OF JAZZ(You hear that, Utah!), New Orleans, Louisiana.
This teenager isn't a typical teenager; this College Kid is coming off of a freshman season in which he has taken the World by storm with mindboggling speed, athleticism, and skill packed into a frame that some might consider best utilized on a football field. This teenager is none other than Zion Williamson.
This night would be the night that Zion would cross the threshold from college phenom to NBA pro. A profession that would be less forgiving of his flaws and demand that this teenager become a man overnight. Zion sits at a table surrounded by family with the ever-present man in all black hoisting a camera in his face, prepares to hear NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recite a phrase that every human that has ever played the game of basketball dreams of hearing, "With the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans select Zion Williamson from Duke University."
A Roar can be heard from Fulton Alley in downtown New Orleans by the Pelicans' fanbase. This pick wasn't just any pick; this pick was a life jacket to what seemed to be a franchise sinking fast after the trade demand of perennial Superstar Anthony Davis and the changing of the front office regime. This pick was a stabilizer in a storm. New Orleans' a City known for football, had scored the most marketable and talented prospect since Lebron James.
After taking his routine pictures with Mr.Silver holding his number one jersey and wearing a smile that could be seen across the Brooklyn Bridge, Zion makes his way to his first interview as a pro. With tears running down his face, thinking of all his Mother Sharonda Sampson had endured to get him to this point. Zion then looks into the camera and says a phrase that took the City of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by storm, "Let's Dance." This turned the roar initially heard in New Orleans when Mr. Silver announced the pick into complete mayhem. Not only did New Orleans get Zion, but Zion chose New Orleans then.
Breaking Point
As legendary NFL quarterback Drew Brees stated, "If you love New Orleans, it will love you back." Zion was experiencing that firsthand. This was the moment in which New Orleans would become a basketball City… Or so we thought—due to a myriad of injuries, the dance that Zion had asked the City to take part in resembled that of a couple stumbling through a performance, stepping on each other's toes left and right.
Zion had given the City moments of excitement(see Zion's debut against the San Antonio Spurs) and moments of confusion, leaving many to ask, does Zion genuinely love New Orleans, and is it safe to love him back?
There's an old saying, "Sometimes, hitting rock bottom is the solid foundation on which you can rebuild your life." Zion had hit that point. The roar once heard in New Orleans in celebration of his arrival had turned to scoffs at the mention of his name. Being a City of authenticity, New Orleans didn't take too kindly to Zion's Stepdad, Lee Anderson, often taking center stage to answer questions and release statements on his behalf. This was a matter that the fanbase wanted to hear the voice of Zion, and Zion only.
Little did we know that this teenager thrusted not only into becoming a man but the family breadwinner and face of an organization, was crumbling beneath not the scrutiny but the elementary-like jokes of local and national media pundits. Experiencing his first taste of not being the beloved charming teenage kid that can do extraterrestrial like things with a basketball. This is where most young athletes give up, take their proverbial ball, and go home.
Not Zion.
Time To Rebuild
Coming off of another chaotic offseason, Zion steps into the 2023-2024 NBA season with the least attention he ever had. Zion is the first of the social media athlete sensations to make it this far. Who would've thought a kid from Salisbury, South Carolina, known for dunking on private school kids, would become a five-year NBA veteran? Yet here we find Zion, playing in his first game since missing all of the 22-23 season, and boy, oh boy, did it start clunky. Zion, still regaining his feel for live speed in-game action, was often relegated to a back-to-the-basket scoring threat at the start, which may seem like a great idea to some, it lets Zion ease his way back into the game flow and not risk something catastrophic. Zion also didn't play in any back-to-backs (as expected by some) to preserve his 6'6 bulky frame from overuse too early in his return. This plan benefited Zion, statistically averaging 24 points, 4.9 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game over his first fifteen games. Still, it lacked the necessary win-loss record(9-6 in games Zion played) to shift the narrative that had developed around the once golden child of New Orleans. There had to be more to this… Oh, there was, and the World was getting ready to see it, not for the first time, but for a while this time.
Zanos Is Here.
In December, Coach Willie Green, with the assistance of Offensive Coordinator James Borrego, decided to put the ball in Zion's Hands and let him facilitate the offense, and like a rocket blasting off into outer space, so did the game of Zion Williamson. Running down the court with the speed of a Cheetah and the size of a Rhyno, Zion began to initiate the offense, making defenses pay if they helped off of shooters and punishing them with brute strength and finesse touch around the rim if they didn't. While all of Zion's stats are down except for assist(5.0 assists per game), the stat that means most to Zion and every Pelicans fan is up, and that is his games played, with a career-high 64 games played. Zion not only has the Pelicans in position to finally get over the play-in game hump(currently the 6th seed in the west) and into the playoffs, but he's also making a solid case for an All NBA Team bid. If Zion can keep up his stellar level of play and lead the Pelicans to the playoffs without a play-in appearance for the first time since 2018, his case may be too strong to be denied by the voters. When Zion is available, winning at a high level is usually the result. When Zion is not available, the ceiling shrinks by a large margin. The key to Zion's success and the Pelicans' success isn't found in points, assists, or rebounds; it's found in the presence of Zion.
The clunky dance between a nineteen-year-old kid and a City known for having a good party 24/7 may not resemble that of world-renowned dance duo Denys and Antonina. Still, it's starting to resemble that of another world-renowned duo, the Les Twins. The two look similar in that Zion has been counted out because of his trials and tribulations, and like the City of New Orleans, he shows perseverance and a won't quit attitude. Both are aware of their weaknesses and live unashamed of them. While the dance doesn't resemble the straightforwardness of Ballroom dancing, its imperfections and missteps are turned into new moves to be celebrated by the World, like the latest hip-hop dance. Zion and New Orleans are ready to take the big stage, so without further ado… "Let's Dance."
Written By: Dylan Mckneely
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