NBA rookie Zion Williamson caught the eye and certainly made a mark as Team USA beat Team World 151-131 in the NBA’s Rising Stars event in Chicago.
Williamson, the No.1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, produced a series of powerful dunks, one of which dented the backboard in the second quarter and required the basket to be realigned at halftime.
He finish with 14 points and seven rebounds in just under 20 minutes.
After the game, the New Orleans Pelicans player said he didn’t hear a crack when he dunked.
“We went into the halftime, and my teammates started telling me about it,” he told reporters. “I don’t know which dunk it was on, but I don’t think it was me.”
The league’s young players paid tribute to Kobe Bryant, wearing patches featuring the numbers 2 and 24 surrounded by nine stars.
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In the celebrity game, rapper Quavo wore sneakers with the No.2, which was Bryant’s daughter Gianna’s jersey number, and No.8 and No. 24, Bryant’s jersey numbers with the LA Lakers.
Less than a month since NBA legend Bryant – as well as his daughter and seven others – lost their lives in a helicopter crash in California’s Calabasas, the All-Star weekend is focusing on commemorating Bryant.
