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Zion Williamson is one of the most-hyped NBA rookies in a long, long time, with the upside of a LeBron James or Michael Jordan that has everyone expecting big things from the New Orleans Pelicans’ young star. Well, almost everyone, because the people who produce the video game NBA2K20 seem to think a little less highly about Zion’s skills than everyone else seems to in real life.
While Williamson is rated with a healthy 81 overall — the highest of any in this year’s rookie class — he seemed less than thrilled with some of the attributes NBA2K20 gave him; specifically his speed. When asked about what it’s like being in a video game for real, and not just a fake character that he needed to create like the rest of us have to, Zion Williamson had this to say, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
“My guy is not that good in 2K. That’s OK. He’s slower than I’d like but it’s fine. It’s weird though. At the AAU trips when you’re younger, you’re playing 2K with your friends and teammates and you’re having fun. You slide over to the right or to the left and you start pushing the button to switch teams, ‘Boom, you’re right there.’ You don’t have to create your player. Your player is already there. It’s just like, ‘Man, I’m here. But I want to stay here for a long time.’ All this stuff just adds motivation to my fire.”
It’s pretty funny that, of all things Zion Williamson could use as motivation for his rookie year and NBA career, it’s the chance to prove the developers at NBA2K20 wrong so that, next year, he’ll be rated higher. Hey, if there isn’t a chip on your shoulder already, you’ve just got to create one, right?
For those forgetting about the insane things that Williamson can do, here’s a quick little refresher.
Zion Williamson is an absolute beast. He’s destined for greatness. He’s a man among boys. And, even though the young Pelicans’ star isn’t too happy with the digital version of himself in NBA2K20, something tells me he’ll get a little bit more respect in next year’s version after he puts the league on notice of all the wild things he can do. Damn it, I can’t wait.