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CHARLOTTE, NC – A television flies over a Pop-a-Shot in the corner of Fahrenheit. The upscale restaurant and lounge on the 22nd floor of Skye Condos offers the best view of Charlotte. On Saturday, he hosted J. Cole's day party. Artists such as J. I.D and Omen de Wale, Fabolous and Dreamville mingle with those who are able to refine the VIP badge. It was here that Cole was stationed before making the five-minute trip to the Spectrum Center to help his compatriot from Fayetteville, North Carolina, from Dennis Smith Jr. at the dunk contest (and get there -even).
But on TV above Pop-a-Shot? The game Duke and North Carolina State.
"This is not where this boy from Zion plays," said a young woman, paying little attention to Pop-a-Shot.
"Yeah," says the guy she shoots. "This [dude is] nice as s-. He will be here next year. "
It's Zion Williamson, the city's topic of conversation at the Charlotte All-Star weekend. He's probably one of the best picks in this year's draft and a big part of the Chicago All-Star Weekend next year. Williamson is a transcendent talent. And its atmosphere is already apparently everywhere.
Even though, over the weekend, Michael Jordan celebrated his 56th birthday. Even as Charlotte welcomed superstar Stephen Curry with a weekend full of fantasy. Even if the last weekend of the stars of Dwyane Wade played as a player. Even as LeBron James, a man's economy was the embodiment of a title. Yes, the most inevitable scenario was Zalis Lateef Williamson of Salisbury, North Carolina, who was technically in class.
At almost every party in Charlotte, you heard Zion's name in a litany of conversations. Take a stroll in the lobby of any hotel. Sit in any bar. Williamson was the most valuable player of the All-Star weekend and he was not within 120 miles. "I have never had a nose in my nose or anything to say about the comparison between me and Sion and Zion with me," James said during Saturday's media day. "I think it's great – I think it's great for the game."
"They talk about me?" Said Sion with a smirk. "I'm in highschool."
"It's unreal. We were talking about him the other day in our team room, "Curry said. "He has a lot of hype around him and he has incredible talent, but you can not teach, for example, his passion and the way he plays … he plays hard every possession and it's a skill underestimated that kids can … imitate.
Williamson, who lost 32 points in 12 wins out of 16, played timidly. "They talk about me?" Said Sion with a smirk. "I'm in highschool."
But the time that Williamson played at the Cameron Indoor Stadium is just a pit stop before multi-million dollar contracts come up and the shoe companies are embarking on an arms race to appeal to his services. Williamson is one of Duke's four incredibly talented first-year students, alongside Tre Jones, Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett and Barrett could be the No. 2 choice behind Williamson in June.
The first-year collective makes Duke the most excited and exciting team in the country. Jones is a ground general in every sense of the word. The reddish is cold-blooded in depth. Barrett has been one of the most prestigious young players in the country for many years. But Williamson has been an internet legend for years, thanks in part to his video titled "Mixtapes" featuring a multitude of violent dunks. There is also the co-sign Drake, which gives him the kind of cultural relevance of which one can only dream.
Williamson may be a bull in the NBA's porcelain culture store, but he is agile enough and gracious enough to earn the respect of someone like Misty Copeland. It is as much more than its aerial control. The least well-kept secret in the league is that some of the NBA's worst teams – New York, Cleveland and Chicago – are thirsty for Sion not only for his talent but also for his marketing department's dream. True or false, justified or not, overhyped or not excited enough – these are the types of conversations heard during the All-Star weekend.
When Hamidou Diallo of Oklahoma City was interviewed after winning the dunk contest, he was asked about Williamson, the two having clashed in a high school dunk contest.
Williamson won this match in 2016 and Diallo was questioned about a possible rematch in Chicago next year. "Oh, it's hard," he said about the possibility. "Let's go." This couple is playing a potential match with Zach LaVine-Aaron Gordon (the best exchange of all time since Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins) and Williamson has contributed passively to the creation of the most anticipated dunk contest in recent years. And it's a contest that could absolutely need spice and intrigue, even a year in advance.
In downtown Charlotte, this year's All-Stars jerseys populated the streets. A good dose of LeBron here. An equally healthy dose of Stephen Curry. Giannis Antetokounmpo also had her own improvised street team, with No. 34 Milwaukee Bucks everywhere. Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and others were also present permanently. But from time to time, there was a Duke No. 1 jersey, certainly not enough to compete with LeBron fans but enough to let people know that the next star of the league was waiting.
It remains 86 days before the NBA draw to see who wins the right to choose (presumably) Williamson with the first overall pick. There are 123 days left before the real draft when Williamson crosses the stage to shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. And there are 364 days left until next year's All-Star Game – 363 days before the dunk contest. A storm is preparing for the horizon.
"This dunk contest was in the night," said a fan to his friend as they left the Spectrum Center on Saturday night. "Nothing to say at home. They need to solve this problem for real.
"Yes, they are," said the friend. "Sion will be here next year, what do you need more?"
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