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Freshman sensation Zion Williamson was knocked out of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry game with a knee sprain after his Nike shoe blew out during the top-ranked Blue Devils’ opening possession Wednesday night.
While describing the sprain as mild and the knee as stable, coach Mike Krzyzewski said he doesn’t know how much time Williamson will miss.
Williamson, the presumed top pick in June’s NBA Draft, grabbed his right knee in pain after slipping awkwardly and falling when his left shoe fell apart as he planted hard while dribbling near the free throw line. The blue rubber sole ripped loose from the white shoe from the heel to the toes along the outside edge, with Williamson’s foot coming all the way through the large gap.
Nike said in a statement that it was ‘concerned’ and wished Williamson a speedy recovery. It said it was ‘working to identify the issue.’
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Teenage prodigy Zion Williamson suffered a freak injury in college basketball on Wednesday
The 18-year-old sensation’s left Nike trainer blew out after his foot tore through it
He sprained his right knee after slipping awkwardly and falling as his trainer fell apart
Williamson, the ACC’s second-leading scorer at 22.4 points per game and arguably the most exciting player in college basketball, walked off with a slight limp but under his own power before heading back to the locker room with no shoes on his feet.
No. 8 North Carolina took advantage of Williamson’s absence to beat the Blue Devils 88-72.
‘I’d rather not talk about what we’re going to do,’ Krzyzewski said. ‘I’d rather talk about what just happened. Because we’re going to figure out what we’re going to do. So I don’t have that answer.’
Williamson received support from LeBron James and Barack Obama, the latter of whom was in attendance in Durham, where tickets were going for as much as $10,000 on Wednesday.
‘Zion Williamson seems like an outstanding young man as well as an outstanding basketball player,’ Obama wrote on Twitter. Wishing him a speedy recovery.’
Without mentioning Nike by name, James – who has endorsed the brand for years – tweeted at Williamson as well: ‘Hope young fella is ok! Literally blew thru his [sneaker emoji].’
Without mentioning Nike by name, James – who endorses the brand – tweeted at Williamson
Williamson received support from LeBron James and Barack Obama, the latter of whom was in attendance in Durham, where tickets were going for as much as $10,000 on Wednesday
The parody accounts began popping up in the immediate aftermath of Williamson’s injury
Krzyzewski doesn’t have much time to find a replacement for the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-leading scorer and its most dynamic playmaker.
The Blue Devils (23-3, 11-2) play Saturday night at Syracuse – which already knows how to beat a Duke team after it loses a key freshman to injury. The Orange beat No. 1 Duke last month in overtime after point guard Tre Jones injured a shoulder.
Williamson averages 22.4 points, but his impact goes well beyond scoring. He also grabs 9.2 rebounds and has blocked nearly two shots per game.
In his absence, North Carolina simply dominated the paint, outscoring the Blue Devils 62-28 there while also building a 46-41 rebounding advantage. The Tar Heels shot 51 percent – 57 percent in the second half – despite 2-for-20 shooting from 3-point range.
RJ Barrett matched a season best with 33 points, and teammate Cameron Reddish had a season-high 27 – but the rest of the team combined for just 12 points.
‘I hope he’s going to be OK,’ Barrett said of Williamson. ‘We don’t really know where things are right now.’
Apparently, neither does Williamson. And now, a month after the freshman star swatted away questions about the prudence of risking injury by playing – Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen had suggested he’d be better off shutting it down for the year – that debate is sure to be reignited.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who played in college at Louisville, said on Twitter that ‘something has to change’ in the wake of the injury.
‘Again let’s remember all the money that went into this game…. and these players get none of it…. and now Zion gets hurt,’ he tweeted.
Williamson grabbed his right knee in pain after slipping awkwardly and falling when his left shoe fell apart as he planted hard while dribbling near the free throw line. The blue rubber sole ripped loose from the white shoe from the heel to the toes along the outside edge, with Williamson’s foot coming all the way through the large gap.
He walked off with a slight limp, but under his own power, before heading to the locker room with no shoes on his feet.
Nike said in a statement that it was ‘concerned’ and wished Williamson a speedy recovery. It said it was ‘working to identify the issue.’
Obama – who watched the game from a baseline seat near the Duke bench – said on Twitter that Williamson ‘seems like an outstanding young man as well as an outstanding basketball player. Wishing him a speedy recovery.’
So are the Blue Devils.
LeBron James tweeted his support for the young star, writing: ‘Hope young fella is ok!’.
While describing the sprain as mild and the knee as stable, coach Mike Krzyzewski said he doesn’t know how long Williamson will be out for.
Williamson is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-leading scorer at 22.4 points per game and arguably the most exciting player in college basketball.
He walked off with a slight limp but under his own power before heading back to the changing room with no shoes on his feet.
The Blue Devils lost 88-72 in the absence of their talisman.
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