Admiring Zion Williamson and his greatness from a Chicago Bulls POV

NBA fans everywhere should be admiring what Zion Williamson did in his debut, including those that loyalties lie with the Chicago Bulls.

The NBA is seeking out who the Los Angeles Lakers superstar 35-year-old forward LeBron James will pass to the torch to next. The assumption this season is that it was going to be former Duke Blue Devils sensational one-and-done freshman Zion Williamson after the New Orleans Pelicans selected him with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. New Orleans got that pick in the lottery over teams that had much better odds like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Although the player that could actually see LeBron pass to the torch to next to be the face of the NBA is superstar Milwaukee Bucks and the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the debut of Zion on Jan. 22 was still very fun to watch. The game between the Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs in front of a national audience on Wednesday night didn’t live up to the hype until late in the second half, though.

The Pelicans saw the Spurs take control of the game early in the first half, holding a double-digit lead much of the way. But Zion and the Pelicans pushed back in the second half to make it tight. Point guard Lonzo Ball and small forward Brandon Ingram finally got going in the second half too. Lonzo and Ingram combined for 36 points on the night.

But all the hype was surrounding Zion and the 18 minutes he was on the floor at the Smoothie King Center in NOLA on Jan. 22. He finished the night with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, and a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Zion did have five turnovers on the game, but that is to be expected when a rookie makes his NBA debut.

A really special part of the night saw Zion pile on 17 points in a span of less than five minutes. He buried those four threes in a short span of time and nearly helped the Pelicans claw their way back for the win.

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But head coach Gregg Popovich did what he does so well and spoil the night for the star and focal point of the game. The Spurs came out on top in the end by the final score of 121-117. Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge powered the Spurs with his game-high 32 points. He did it quietly, though.

Social media was popping off with Zion’s huge NBA debut. And rightly so. This performance where he shot a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point land in his first ever regular season NBA game was record breaking.

There was so much to like about Zion’s debut. The future looks extremely bright for him, as anticipated, as he tries to bring the Pelicans to prominence for the first time since they moved to New Orleans from Charlotte.

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All the nationally televised games the Pelicans have this season will now be justified. The Pelicans heating up around Zion just makes the start to his NBA career that much better. Watching him star alongside the likes of Lonzo and Ingram will be a sight to behold.

Even though they didn’t land him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Bulls should rejoice at the fact that the entire league and its fans can watch Zion play basketball again. He’s a generational talent that is finally getting back from the knee injury that limited him through most of his rookie season.

Zion is truly a talent worthy of NBA poster boy status. His athleticism and overwhelming physical tools allow him to do things that most other stars just can’t. He’s the most similar star that we’ve seen to LeBron since he first entered the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2003.