With Zion Williamson next, NBA phenoms' first games against Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Editor's note: With the Wizards set to face the Pelicans on Wednesday Jan. 27, 2021, we're resurfacing this post that ran on NBC Sports Washington last year when Washington was preparing to face Zion Williamson for the first time.
The Wizards are expected to get their first look at last year's No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson on Wednesday night as they battle the New Orleans Pelicans at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington. This should be their first glimpse of the phenom in any type of game, as Williamson did not play during the two teams' lone matchup last season.
There was anticipation then and there is plenty of it now, as Williamson has since become a sensation in the NBA. In his rookie campaign, Williamson averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 records in just 27.8 minutes played. Williamson is off to a similar start in his sophomore season, averaging 23.4 points and 7.9 rebounds over 14 games.
And those are just the numbers. Anyone who has watched him play can attest to the unusual athletic gifts that he has.
"Explosive. Just dynamic," Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said last season. "His athleticism is off the charts. His second jump is as good as everybody's first jump. He's a quick jumper. He's going to be a problem. He's going to be a problem for a lot of years. It's impressive what he's done in the limited minutes that he's played here."
Williamson may be one of a kind with his strength, first step and leaping ability, but he's just the latest in a long line of star prospects to reach the NBA level. As he gets set to face the Wizards, here is a look at how some other rookie phenoms have fared in their first games against the franchise...
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (MIL) - Nov. 9, 1969
24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-22 FG, 48 minutes; Bullets won by 11
Larry Bird (BOS) - Oct. 19, 1979
12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 6-14 FG, 22 minutes; Celtics won by 37
Magic Johnson (LAL) - Jan. 9, 1980
14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, block, steal, 4-6 FG, 26 minutes; Bullets won by 2
Michael Jordan (CHI) - Oct. 26, 1984 (NBA debut)
16 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals, 5-16 FG FG, 40 minutes; Bulls won by 16
Shaquille O'Neal (ORL) - Nov. 7, 1992
22 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 8-16 FG, 40 minutes; Magic won by 5
Allen Iverson (PHI) - March 4, 1997
18 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 7-20 FG, 45 minutes; Bullets won by 1
Tim Duncan (SAS) - Nov. 26, 1997
18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 turnovers, 9-15 FG, 41 minutes; Wizards won by 4
LeBron James (CLE) - Nov. 8, 2003
17 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, steal, block, 8-19 FG, 44 minutes; Cavs won by 13
Kevin Durant (SEA) - Jan. 6, 2008
19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-12 FG, 35 minutes; Wizards won by 22
Derrick Rose (CHI) - Dec. 6, 2008
15 points, 8 assists, 2 steals, 6-12 FG, 37 minutes; Bulls won by 7
Blake Griffin (LAC) - March 12, 2011
26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 8-17 FG, 30 minutes; Clippers won by 21
Luka Doncic (DAL) - Nov. 6, 2018
23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, steal, 9-16 FG, 33 minutes; Mavericks won by 19
Ja Morant (MEM) - Dec. 14, 2019
18 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, block, 5-11 FG, 28 minutes; Grizzlies won by 17
