NBA: Zion Williamson Has To 'Find A Niche,' Rockets Legend Says

A Houston Rockets legend suggested a way for Zion Williamson to succeed in the NBA.

Prior to putting on a show in his first game with the New Orleans Pelicans, Williamson is already viewed as a future NBA superstar. Being the no. 1 overall pick really comes with tremendous amount of expectations, and thus far, Williamson seems to deliver.

However, Rockets legend Kenny “The Jet” Smith found something in Williamson that could either be bad or good for his future. In the 30th annual PwC SMU Athletic Forum, where Smith was honored, the former NBA first-round draft pick talked about several players in the NBA, including Williamson.

According to Smith, Williamson has to find a way for his game to be recognized in the league as nobody else plays the way he does. “I think Zion is gonna have to find a niche, cause what he does doesn’t exist. The way he plays, there’s no one in the history of the game that plays that way,” Smith said.

While Smith hasn’t specified what Williamson does that makes him different yet, the Pelicans organization is focusing not on Williamson’s stardom. Instead, the team is more thrilled about the progress of Williamson as a developing player.

As such, New Orleans Pelicans GM David Griffin has Williamson’s back in dealing with criticisms. More importantly, Griffin insisted that Williamson is all about winning, USA Today reported.

“All Zion wants to do is win. He doesn’t have a vision of himself that corresponds with what people talk about, relative to him. So, whatever it is that’s necessary for our coaching staff and for him to do to win, that’s what he wants to do,” Griffin noted.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has made it clear they don’t need Williamson to be the franchise savior.

"We’re not going to ask him to put on a cape and fly in and save our franchise. He's going to be a really good player, and every single day he’s going to work at getting better, and to me that’s the most important thing right there,” Gentry pointed out.

As for the 19-year-old future NBA superstar, his dreams are now fulfilled and the NBA is all about having fun.

“This is what the dream was all about, Williamson said.

“I think people will look at what I’m doing and say it’s very stressful, but I’m having fun with it,” Williamson added.

Meanwhile, for perhaps the first time in NBA history, an estimated 10,000 fans showed up for the team's first public scrimmage. The massive crowd was not disappointed as Williamson and Lonzo Ball put on a show, connecting for their first public alley-oop as teammates.