Zion Williamson has said all the right things since the New Orleans Pelicans selected him with the top overall pick in June's draft and traded their previous No. 1 overall selection, Anthony Davis, to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The rookie, who's quickly becoming the face of the Pelicans, recently indicated that he'd like to mimic Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki by spending his entire career with one franchise.
"Personally, I’ve always told myself I want to stay with one team," Williamson said, according to Complex's Macklin Stern. "Growing up, I loved what Kobe did and Dirk did, and I think if anybody’s a Michael Jordan fan, they kinda erase the Wizards thing. He still did very well there, but at the end of the day, I don’t think people look at it from the business point of view. Some people want to stay with one team but they get traded.
"My intentions are to stay with the Pelicans my whole career, but if something happens, I wouldn't leave because I hate the place. It’s just the business."
Williamson, who averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds in his lone season at Duke, is arguably the most hyped NBA prospect since Davis tore through the college basketball landscape at Kentucky. At 6-foot-7, 285-pounds, many believe he'll develop into a generational defensive presence with excellent playmaking and transition abilities on offense.