New Orleans Pelicans: the league talks about Zion Williamson

What the greats have to say about Zion Williamson…

Ex-NBA players are often grumpy and slow to praise the young guys.

They usually want to talk about how things were more difficult in their day, how modern players are soft or not as competitive.

This has not been the case with Zion Williamson, who has drawn universal praise from current and former players.

That includes Dwyane Wade, who was exited about Zion’s New Orleans Pelicans’ debut:

It certainly was.

Stephen Curry had this to say when asked about Zion Williamson’s potential according to USA Today:

"“He’s unreal. We were talking about him the other day in our team room. He has a lot of hype around him and he’s unbelievably talented, but you can’t teach, like, his passion and the way that … he plays. And, he plays hard every possession, and that’s an underrated skill that kids can … emulate.”"

The player Zion Williamson is most compared to is LeBron. This is largely because of their physical dominance, but LeBron mostly wanted to talk character when asked by ESPN, saying:

"“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.”"

Zion may be compared to LeBron, but has often stated that his favorite player is Michael Jordan, so he must have been thrilled when he heard himself mentioned in the same breath.

Here’s what Jordan’s teammate and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen had to say about Zion when asked by “The Jump” host Rachel Nichols.

"Rachel Nichols asked Pippen: “Fill in the blank for me: Zion Williamson is the best NBA prospect since …” “Michael Jordan,” he replied. Wait, what? Past LeBron James? “Yes, past LeBron,” Pippen said."

Pretty impressive praise from one of the All-Time greats.

Here’s what Jordan himself had to say in a press conference after Zion’s debut:

"“I think what you saw the other night was a taste of what you’re going to see moving forward. He still has a lot to do but we think his passion for the game is coming through the way that he plays and I think that’s great for the league.”"

Anyone who knows the ultra-competitive Jordan knows that is about as effusive as he ever gets when talking about a young player.

But possibly the best quote came from legendary coach Jim Boeheim, who said of Zion Williamson,

"“He’s like Charles Barkley was except he shoots better than Charles did. And he’s not as fat.”"

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1085016649571450881

Whether it is his organization, coach, teammates or admirers around the league, no one has a bad word to say about Zion Williamson as a player or as a person.

Even former president Barack Obama weighed in:

The New Orleans Pelicans struck gold when they drafted Zion number one overall and we hope he spends his entire career delighting fans in the Big Easy.

He’s proven himself on the court and off, which is reflected in the respect Zion Williamson gets around the NBA.