Zach Randolph was known in the NBA for being dominant at times without being the most athletic person on the court. Randolph was a 2-time NBA All-Star with the Memphis Grizzlies, an embodiment of the Grit and Grind era of the franchise that saw them become just the second eighth-seed ever to upset the first seed in the playoffs. Randolph’s style of play was slow but powerful.
So it’s a surprise to hear him compared to Zion Williamson, one of the most exciting and high-flying prospects to come into the NBA in a while. Zion has lost a step now, but when people thought he was Randolph in 2020, he was fresh into the NBA with a reputation for being mean to rims. But it wasn’t the playing style that earned the comparison to Zion for Randolph, it was his haircut.
Speaking on the Chris Vernon Show (via dunkcounty on Instagram), Z-Bo spoke about how his new haircut was making him look much younger, explaining that he had people asking him if he was Zion when he was in Las Vegas.
“They say I look like I’m 25,” he said. “I was in Vegas, they said ‘is that Zion?’ I said ‘I paved the way for him, he’s my little brother.’ People were like ‘is that Zion?’ I said, ‘I paved the way for him, though.'”
Maybe Z-Bo and Zion do have a bit of a resemblance in terms of looks but the two couldn’t be any more different on the court. Regardless, Zion has much bigger problems at the moment than being compared to a man in his 40s some time ago.
Zion Williamson has been out for the New Orleans Pelicans for the entirety of his third season in the NBA so far, missing time after undergoing surgery on a fractured foot over the offseason. Zion has received criticism for the weight he has gained during this time, with many media members blaming his lack of conditioning for the prolonged injury issues that he has been going through.
