New Orleans Pelicans youngster Zion Williamson has just set a new milestone, becoming the fourth youngest NBA player to be selected for the All-Star.
Pelicans may not be having their best season this year, but Zion Williamson has been gathering applaud for his striking performances game to game.
Towering at 6 feet 7 inches, the 20-year-old power forward has been averaging 25.1 points along with seven double-doubles this season so far.
Zion Williamson joins the ranks of Kobe, LeBron, and Magic Johnson as the youngest All-Stars
One of four All-Star rookies of this year along with Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, and Zach LaVine, Williamson at aged 20 years, 244 days makes history as the fourth-youngest player in the 70-year history of the NBA to be featured in an All-Star Game.
Kobe Bryant remains the youngest of all time (aged 19 years, 169 days in 1998), followed by LeBron James (aged 20 years, 52 days in 2005) and Magic Johnson (aged 20 years, 173 days in 1980). Williamson has taken the spot of Kevin Garnett, the former fourth-youngest All-Star (aged 20 years, 266 days in 1997).
The 70th NBA All-Star Game will take place on 7th March at the State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, shifted from its original location Indianapolis after it was chosen to host the entirety of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament to comply with the COVID-19 protocols.
Nonetheless, the All-Star match will also bear all the necessary regulations as well. The NBA Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take place before the match and the well known Dunk Contest will be hosted during halftime.
“NBA All-Star in Atlanta will continue our annual tradition of celebrating the game and the greatest players in the world before a global audience,” Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA recently said.
“In addition to the festivities on the court, the All-Star Game will honor the vital role HBCUs play in our communities and focus attention and resources on COVID-19 relief, particularly for the most vulnerable,” Silver added.
Team LeBron will be coached by Jazz’s Quin Snyder, while Team Durant will be under the helm of 76ers’ Doc Rivers.
