Zion Williamson is arguably the most hyped-up rookie since LeBron James. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen him on an NBA court since the preseason where he suffered a knee injury. It remains to be seen when we’ll see Zion on the court although we’re very excited for that day to come. Williamson is a box office player who delivers highlight-reel dunks on a nightly basis. During his time at Duke, Zion was an electric factory who delivered huge plays every single game.

During a recent appearance on the JJ Redick Podcast, Zion spoke about his time at Duke and how he almost didn’t declare for the NBA draft. Zion loved his time at the school so much that he wanted to come back for a second season. Eventually, he was convinced to go to the NBA as it would help him provide for his family.

“Me, I wanted to go back. No one ever believes me, they think I’m just saying that, but no. I really wanted to go back,” Zion explained. “I felt like the NBA wasn’t going anywhere. The money thing… I don’ play for the money. I play because I love the game. I just loved my experience at Duke that much to where I wanted to stay. But it was one of those situations where Coach K isn’t gonna let me come back because he wants me to do what’s best for the family. My teammate would’ve said it would be dope for me to come back, but at the same time they’re telling me I would be leaving too much, I didn’t work this long to get to that. It was tough.”

At this point, we’re sure Zion was happy to declare for the draft. He has a huge deal with Jordan Brand and his contract is bringing in quite a few dollars as well. Zion and his family are set for life which is something Duke wouldn’t be able to do for him.