You need to know about Zion Williamson
And a look back at the YouTube sensations that preceded him
I hope you are comfortable in your seat right now because I’m about to lead you down a rabbit-hole that will have your head spinning. Ready?
Allow me to introduce you to the latest greatest high school basketball YouTube sensation — Zion Williamson a/k/a “Man-child” (start at the 5:55 mark if the video doesn’t start from there):
Here’s some mind-blowing facts about Mr. Williamson:
- He was a 15-year old sophomore in that video (he’s a junior now);
- He’s the #2 player in the class of 2018 (uncommitted);
- He’s 6'7 and weighs 230 lbs.; and
- HE WAS A F$@#ING 15-YEAR OLD IN THAT VIDEO!!!
I doubt you were wondering whether he has fallen-off or regressed since that video, but, in case you were, here’s how the first couple games of his junior year have gone:
Keep in mind, that these videos are NOT highlight compilations — they’re individual 32-minute high school games.
Zion Williamson appears destined for greatness. Just how great will he be? That’s the multi-million dollar question with all of these high school basketball viral videos.
Judging from the above-videos alone, Zion Williamson looks like perfect blend of Marcus Smart, Ron Artest, and Julius Randle — or maybe an uber-athletic version of Draymond Green. He looks like he’s going to ruin lives in his one season in college ball and then proceed to bulldoze and dunk his way through a Hall-of-Fame NBA career.
Alas, herein lies the problem with falling in love with a player based solely on his YouTube videos — you only see the crazy dunks, the fancy dribble moves, the huge blocked shots, and the 30-foot 3-pointers. Often times, however, projecting whether a player will be as good as his highlights suggest is more about the things you don’t see in the highlight tapes. For instance, did you notice anything odd about the other players in the videos above? I’m guessing most of them will take more beer-pong shots than jump shots over the next 4–5 years. In addition to the frat star-level of competition, Zion’s game clearly revolves around athleticism and overpowering his opponents — what if he’s done growing and never develops enough skills a la Freddy Adu in soccer? (And that was ‘talking soccer’ with Jake Sinsheimer). And are we sure this kid can shoot as well as the videos suggest?
The point is that you can’t just assume that every YouTube sensation is going to turn into the player he was in high school.
Now, allow me to take you further down the rabbit hole as we remember the studs (and duds) that came before Zion Williamson.
Keep in mind that YouTube videos weren’t really a thing until later in the 2000s. Thus, I’m not including the high school highlights of guys like Vince Carter because no one was able to Google “Vince Carter high school highlights” in 1996 (Al Gore had invented the internet, but not YouTube at that point). I’m also not including anyone who is currently in college (sorry Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, and Josh Jackson).
The OG Sensations
These 2 were the original internet sensations. They were pre-YouTube so you’d hear whispers of their respective prodigious talents in mainstream media (and in LeBron’s case, occasionally see him on ESPN), but for the most part, you had to search the internet to see their jaw-dropping highlights.
LeBron James
NBA Comparison: Magic Johnson x Dominique Wilkins x Karl Malone — possibly the greatest player of all-time.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: Nothing — turns out he probably could have played in the NBA as a sophomore or junior in high school.
Accurate or nah?: 100% Accurate.
Greg Oden
NBA Comparison: David Robinson x Patrick Ewing
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That his legs were not the same length (which commonly leads to foot/knee/back complications).
Accurate or nah?: Nah — but not because of anything Oden could control. Had he stayed healthy, he would have been an All-Star-caliber Center.
The First Wave of Sensations
YouTube was invented in 2005, but the high school highlight tape fever didn’t start until a few years later. These next 4 players always stood out to me because they were the same age as me and I had never seen high school players who could do the things these guys were regularly doing.
Brandon Jennings
NBA Comparison: Nick Van Excel x Stephon Marbury — think of a 6'1, better-passing version of the Celtic’s Isaiah Thomas.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That he’s a very streaky shooter, a reluctant passer, and a little crazy in the head.
Accurate or nah?: 60% accurate — he’s had his fair share of moments (57 points in a game his rookie season), but he peaked as a player years ago (and that was before he tore his Achilles tendon).
DeMar DeRozan
NBA Comparison: Kobe Bryant — Remember this video Colin McKelvey???
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That it would take a a couple of years for his body to develop enough to become the scorer that he is today.
Accurate or nah?: 80–85% accurate — he isn’t quite on Kobe’s level, but he’s not as far off as people might think.
John Wall
NBA Comparison: Derrick Rose x Russell Westbrook
What the highlights didn’t tell you: Nothing — Wall really was this incredible in high school (this might be my favorite highlight tape ever).
Accurate or nah?: Accurate — Wall isn’t as good as peak-Rose or current-Westbrook, but a lot of that can be attributed to the crummy organization he was drafted into — the Washington Wizard(sleeves).
Perry Jones
NBA Comparison: Kevin Garnett x Amare Stoudemire
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Jones had bad knees, poor court awareness, and only a fraction of the drive KG had.
Accurate or nah?: Nah.
The International Sensation
Had to include this prodigy — Rubio started playing professional basketball when he turned 14 and looked like the second coming of Pete Maravich for a minute. Unfortunately, he plateaued a bit as a player and ended up becoming a good, not great point guard in the NBA.
Ricky Rubio
NBA Comparison: Steve Nash (offensively) x Jason Kidd (physically and defensively)
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That he could not shoot, like, at all. Seriously, google “Ricky Rubio worst shooter ever” and see what you find.
Accurate or nah?: Somewhat accurate — he’s an absolute magician with the ball, but he’s a terrible shooter and not quite the athlete Kidd was (Rubio is still a plus-defender).
Slightly Overhyped Sensations
I was ready to elect these next 3 guys into the Hall of Fame after seeing these videos the first time. While all 3 have made the NBA, and Drummond still has All-NBA potential, college basketball exposed the flaws in their respective games.
Andre Drummond
NBA Comparison: DeAndre Jordan with a jump shot.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Drummond may be an even worse shooter than Jordan and that Drummond probably never faced a player taller than 6'6 in high school.
Accurate or nah?: Accurate sans the shooting part — Jordan is more athletic than Drummond, but Drummond is stronger and better in the post.
Austin Rivers
NBA Comparison: A more refined Jamal Crawford.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Rivers was about 5 years away from having an NBA body and that Rivers fancied himself the next-Kobe Bryant despite being nowhere near the same athlete.
Accurate or nah?: Eh, not really — Rivers downright sucked his first few seasons in the league and had to be rescued by his father, Doc. Ironically, if you could combine his now-teammate Jamal Crawford’s offensive gifts with Rivers’ quickness and defensive grit, you’d have an All-Star level guard.
Shabazz Muhammad
NBA Comparison: A lefty Latrell Sprewell.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Shabazz’s father had lied about his actual age and thus, he was over a year older than the rest of the players in his high school class and that he lacked perimeter skills.
Accurate or nah?: Nah — ‘Bazz has the body of a shooting guard, but the skills of a power forward. He’ll hang around the NBA for a while, but he’ll never be the superstar he projected to be in high school.
Impossibly Good Sensations
These next 4 guys have highlight tapes that were so good that it didn’t seem real. These highlight tapes are up there with LeBron’s and John Wall’s tapes as being the best I’ve ever seen.
Aquille Carr
NBA Comparison: A better version of Nate Robinson.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That he’d have trouble qualifying for college, that he’d go the China then D-League route, and that he wasn’t much of a point guard.
Accurate or nah?: Nah — the “Crimestopper” always seemed like an urban legend that was too good to be true. Perhaps it’s for the best that it stays that way.
Andrew Wiggins
NBA Comparison: Vince Carter x Tracy McGrady
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Wiggins is a little less assertive than Carter and McGrady were.
Accurate or nah?: Fairly accurate so far — Wiggins is probably the most explosive player in the NBA right now. It remains to be seen if he can turn into the Hall-of-Fame-type player his highlight film suggests he can be.
Julius Randle
NBA Comparison: A taller, lefty version of Charles Barkley.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Randle is exponentially better on the move than in the half-court offense.
Accurate or nah?: Not really — the Barkley comparison is unfair, but there’s no reason Randle cannot turn into the Lakers’ version of Draymond Green.
Aaron Gordon
NBA Comparison: Dominique Wilkins
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Gordon was actually a horrible jump-shooter.
Accurate or nah?: The dunking/athleticism part is 100% accurate. The rest of his game is lagging behind the Human Highlight Film though.
I Think We’ve Been Duped Sensations
These next 2 guys ended up having some serious baggage and have lost a lot of their luster. Both guys are still young (well, in theory at least) and could end up being decent NBA players.
Emmanuel Mudiay
NBA Comparison: John Wall
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That Mudiay is a terrible shooter and that he does not possess the vision and speed that Wall possesses (few do).
Accurate or nah?: Eh — he’s a homeless man’s John Wall at this point. Mudiay definitely has playmaking skills, but he needs a consistent jumper to realize his potential.
Thon Maker
NBA Comparison: A taller, ganglier version of Kevin Durant.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That he might be way older than he claims to be and that he isn’t in the same stratosphere as Durant from an athletic standpoint.
Accurate or nah?: Nah — I have no idea what Maker will turn into . . . but, it sure as hell isn’t going to be Kevin Durant.
To Be Determined Sensation
Mr. Simmons has yet to play an NBA game — however, if he’s anything close to the player in his highlight tapes, he’s going to be a superstar.
Ben Simmons
NBA Comparison: A more athletic version of Lamar Odom.
What the highlights didn’t tell you: That he is a very reluctant shooter at this point in his career.
Accurate or nah?: TBD — his Summer League performance suggests that he will be, at worst, a poor man’s LeBron James (a/k/a Lamar Odom).
And, last but not least . . .
The Next Sensation
We’re officially too deep down the rabbit-hole — watching an 8th grader’s highlights feels creepy, but good lord this kid can ball. The video is from his 8th grade season, but he’s a sophomore now and a top-5 player in his class. Get ready to be momentarily upset with your parents for supplying you with such inferior DNA:
Scottie Lewis
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*RIP Craig Sager*
