Duke freshman sensation Zion Williamson was on hand in Chicago for the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. And just how he has always been since his first game at Duke, Williamson was all smiles when he joined ESPN's crew to talk about what team he might be going to once the Lottery was
When all the cards were shown to the masses, it was the New Orleans Pelicans that came out with the No. 1 pick in a wild drawing of teams. And it appears Williamson wasn't the biggest fan of that.
ESPN's Marc. J. Spears was first to say that the 6-foot-7 forward was "quickly whisked out of the room" following the Pelicans' winning the Lottery. A source told him that Williamson was "rooting to go to New York."
SNY's Ian Begley was also hearing that Williamson was "looking forward to playing in New York" and excited for the opportunity to win over the Knicks faithful. But that won't be the case as the Pelicans will more likely than not call his name on June 20 when they are on the clock.
Could Williamson follow in the footsteps of another New York star athlete, and refuse to play for the Pelicans if he truly doesn't like the franchise? Giants QB Eli Manning did it when he was drafted first overall back in 2004 to the Chargers. New York made the swap of Phillip Rivers to bring Manning in, and it worked out with two Super Bowls during his tenure.
But that is the NFL, and it was 15 years ago. Still, if these reports ring true, Williamson may not be the happiest first overall pick.