Zion Williamson is one of the world’s greatest athletes. With a large frame, strong build, and amazing hops, the young stud plays with a certain degree of power and force rarely seen in the NBA.
So when he was revealed his Mt. Rushmore of dunkers to FOX Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe, it generated quite a bit of attention.
“I’m gonna go mixing it between dunk contest and in-game, a combination of both. Mike [Jordan], gotta have Mike up there. I’ll put Dominique [Wilkins] up there as well. Got to put Bron [James] up there, just respect, a lot of in-game posters, crazy athletic. And my fourth one, Vince [Carter].”
That’s a pretty solid list, and most fans would agree with that. Of course, it doesn’t mean a case for others — like Julius Erving, Shawn Kemp, and even Blake Griffin can’t be made.
Nevertheless, Zion followed up with his take on the art of the dunk, and what it takes to be a master at it.
“What makes a great dunker, I think being able to do it when nobody is there. You’re playing 5-on-5 in an NBA game, and you’re able to go dunk. People will say, ‘Oh it looks easy’, but it’s actually not, it’s not easy doing that. I think for those players to do it in-game and when they’re just by themselves. That adds to a lot how I judge you.”
Guys like MJ certainly make it look easy, but make no mistake: dunking a basketball is no walk in the park.
And while most players can dunk, some are better at it than others.
The question is, will Zion join the dunkers “Mt. Rushmore” eventually too? Looks like we’ll just have to wait and find out for ourselves.
