Basketball phenomenon, Zion Williamson. (h/t: Thisis50)
Every generation has one; a high school basketball star who gets more publicity and love even than most NBA stars. In the 1990s it was Kobe Bryant. In the early 2000s it was LeBron James. Now, in the late 2010s, it's Zion Williamson.
It's players like these who, in the past, many would have expect to make the leap straight from high school to the NBA. This was an option for LeBron and Kobe, both of whom chose to skip college and pursue a professional basketball career in the NBA.
However, that rule was changed in 2005, making it mandatory for a player to have at least a year of international or college play under his belt. In other words, Zion, a 6'8", 285-pound forward with the ball handling skills and shooting ability of a much smaller man, has no choice but to spend this year dominating the college basketball scene with fellow freshman, Canadian RJ Barrett at Duke.
It's not a very bad deal if you think about it: Williamson gets to spend time under the tutelage of Mike Krzyzewski, A.K.A Coach K, A.K.A one of the most well-renowned coaches in the history of basketball.
If that wasn't enough, his teammates include the other two members of the top three players in the 2018 recruiting class (Barrett was first, Williamson second, and Cam Reddish was third.)
After walloping the projected second-best recruiting class, Kentucky's, by more than 30 points, Duke solidified themselves as being, albeit young, the most talented team in the league.
Barring a drastic dip in play or a big injury, Zion is going to be an undisputed top-2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and will undoubtedly thrive from the get-go in the NBA, due to his God-given size and freakish athleticism and equally freakish skill, especially considering said size.