The biggest kept secret in basketball is no more, with the New Orleans Pelicans selection Zion Williamson with the number one pick of the NBA draft.
The US college basketball sensation out of Duke University is the first prospect since LeBron James in 2003 to be projected as the first pick of the draft by every major US sports publication.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson wore a cream-colored suit jacket and sat with family members as he heard his name called at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
"I dreamed about this since I was 4," Williamson said.
"I don’t know what to say - I didn't think I'd be in this position. My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn’t be here without her.
"She put her dreams aside for mine. She always looked out for the family first before herself."
Williamson, the college basketball player of the year, dominated in his only season at the collegiate level.
He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while making 33 starts. He added 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game with an elite combination of size and athleticism.
He will immediately become the face of the Pelicans’ franchise.
New Orleans went 33-49 last season and recently agreed to a blockbuster deal to send centre Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package of players and picks.
Newshub.