Zion Williamson Parents: Stepdad, Early Days, Duke & NBA

Who is Zion Williamson?

Zion Williamson is a professional basketball player from the United States. Zion Williamson is a power forward for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association. He is the first player born in the 2000s to be drafted into the National Basketball Association.

Sharonda Sampson and Lateef Williamson are Williamson’s parents. Lee Anderson is also his stepfather.

Zion had impressed his teammates and coach while playing for the Duke Blue Devils. As a result, he was selected by the Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Zion’s senior team at his high school has won three state championships. Furthermore, he was known as South Carolina’s Mr. Basketball.

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Zion Williamson is pictured with his mother and stepfather.

Zion publicly credits his parents as being his inspiration and guide. Unfortunately, he was separated from his biological father at a young age.

His stepfather, on the other hand, made a big contribution to honing the ability he inherited.

Zion Williamson Zion’s Birth and Their Divorce

Zion was born to Sharonda Sampson and Lateef Williamson.

On July 6, 2000, he was born. The couple was living in Salisbury, North Carolina, at the time.

Lateef played football in high school and college.

Similarly, Sharonda began running track at an early age at Livingstone College.

The pair went to Livingstone College. They first met and fell in love in college.

Sharonda went on to work as a middle school health and physical education teacher after graduating from college.

However, Sharonda and Lateef’s marriage did not work out. When Zion was five years old, the couple split and separated.

Zion Williamson with his mother, Sharonda Sampson.

As a result, Zion has little recollection of his birth father.

But he is extremely grateful to him for ushering in a new era of his life.

Zion also states on social media that he exclusively loves his biological father. He is not, however, close to Lateef.

Zion Williamson Zion’s father is his stepfather.

Sharonda married Lee Anderson soon after her divorce from Lateef.

Lee was from South Carolina.

He went to Clemson University there.

Surprisingly, Lee played basketball on the university’s collegiate squad.

Between 1975 and 1978, he appeared in 16 games with the Tigers.

Similarly, he had only averaged one point each game.

Lee was a key role in Zion’s victory in the game.

Zion also publicly recognizes the fact.

In truth, he was a poor player. But he gave Zion motivation and a path to a career in the game.

More Facts About Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson Parents: Zion’s Early Mentors

Zion inherited athletic traits from his sporty parents.

However, the features will not function well on the field unless they are refined.

Only hard work can ensure that natural abilities are used effectively.

Similarly, Zion’s parents made certain that the aptitude he inherited would not be wasted.

His stepfather assisted him in honing his ball-handling and point guard skills.

He was raised to be a guard from the start, which explains his versatility.

Furthermore, Zion’s mother had an important influence on his development as a player.

Notably, she was his first coach.

Sharonda was well-versed in bodybuilding and dietary requirements, having taught the topics in middle school.

As a result, she put her expertise into practice with her kid.

Zion Williamson’s Parents: Training Routines

Sharonda and Lee pushed Zion to his boundaries from the beginning.

Similarly, they used to wake him up at 5:30 a.m.

They would then transport him to a local court.

The rigorous training sessions continued until breakfast.

Williamson recorded mixtapes of his outrageous dunks in high school.

It quickly became viral on the internet. Similarly, many people liked and shared it.

It eventually got to Drake. Drake, who was pleased with the video, shared an Instagram shot of himself wearing Zion’s high school jersey.

Zion was 16 years old at the time.

Neither Zion nor their parents were inflated by this occasion.

Their focus and Zion’s drive for improvement were never diminished even in the smallest way.

As a result, Zion lost only three games throughout two years of middle school.

Zion Williamson’s High School Career

As a junior in high school, Zion averaged 36.8 points, 13 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.

Surprisingly, his abilities caught the attention of celebrities such as Stephen Curry.

Furthermore, he was named to the All-USA High School Sports first team.

Zion Williamson holds the South Carolina Mr. Basketball title.

Zion was named South Carolina Mr. Basketball for his high school season of 2017-2018.

Then he joined the Duke Blue Lions, where NBA great Kyrie Irving had played.

Zion Williamson: College Preference

There were many offers from 16 NCAA Division I schools.

They included Clemson, Florida, and South Carolina. Later, in August 2016, Duke University gave him a scholarship.

As a result, after finishing his final year of high school, he joined them in January 2018. His stepfather, on the other hand, desired that he attend Clemson.

Duke wasn’t his stepfather’s first pick. Notably, Williamson scored 28 points in Duke’s first regular-season game.

During that time, he was also named ACCC Freshman of the Week on multiple occasions.

He was also the season’s Rookie and Player of the Year.

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In 2019, Duke won the ACC Championship with a 73-63 victory over Florida State. Notably, Zion was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after scoring 21 points.

Later, he made his NCAA Tournament debut on March 22.

He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.

Draft Picks and NBA Career

Zion’s stepfather, Anderson, wanted him to sign with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA draft.

As a result, he was selected first overall by the Pelicans.

In January 2022, he made his NBA debut.

It was a game against the San Antonio Spurs.

In fact, he had 22 points and seven rebounds in his 18-minute appearance.

Similarly, Zion averaged at least 20 points in ten consecutive games.

As a result, he is the first adolescent in NBA history to accomplish so.

Similarly, in six of his eight games versus the Chicago Bulls, he scored 20 points.

On March 1, 2020, he set a career-best with 5 points and 7 rebounds in a 122-114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Williamson scored a career-high 36 points against the Dallas Mavericks on February 12, 2021, with a record of 143-130.

With 30 points on 90% shooting in this game, he became the NBA’s youngest player ever.

Awards and Achievements

Here are a handful of the awards and accomplishments Zio has achieved during his basketball career:

• 2019 player of the year
• Rookie of the Year 2019
• 2019 freshman of the year
• NBA All-Rookie First Team – 2020

Zion Williamson’s parents’ net worth

Zion’s mother works at a middle school.

She teaches health and physical education.

Lee is also Zion’s personal mentor.

As a result, their exact net worth remains unknown.

Similarly, their economic position can be evaluated by comparing it to Zion’s wages.

Zion Williamson’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $8 million in 2022.

Zion agreed to a four-year, $44.2 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Furthermore, the average rookie pay in 2022 will be $10 million.

In addition, he has a Nike sneaker endorsement deal.

According to estimates, the five-year pact is for $75 million.

In comparison, LeBron James’ initial Nike contract was worth $12.4 million per year.

Thus, it is apparent that Zion is providing a prosperous life for his parents.

They had held his hands when he knew nothing about the game.

In terms of other physical possessions in Zion, he owns a historic Mansion valued at $950000.

Similarly, he drives Mercedes-AMG Duo cars valued at millions of dollars.

As a result, they are now beginning to reap the benefits of their efforts.

For additional details, see this article: Zion Williamson Net Worth | Brand Endorsements & Car >>

Zion Williamson’s net worth in several currencies

His current relationship with his parents

To underscore, Zion is known for being a mama’s boy.

Similarly, his relationship with his mother has never deteriorated even slightly.

Besides, he spends as much time as he can with his mother.

Furthermore, when Zion sees his mother, he watches cartoons with her.

He’ll come over when we have some alone time and we’ll watch Naruto.

Similarly, Zion admits to crying in his mother’s arms after injuring himself against North Carolina.

She then clutched her close and consoled him.

During Zion’s games, his stepfather stands very near the floor.

Throughout the game, he cheers and motivates Zion.

Similarly, Lee is seen cheering every point Zion scores.

He has nothing except affection and remembrance for his biological father.

According to his Facebook page, Lateef lives in Darlington, South Carolina.

Zion shared a snapshot on Instagram in which he expressed gratitude to both of his fathers.

Also, read James Young, Matt Thomas, Manu Ginobili

Zion Williamson Parents’ Social Media Presence

Sharonda Sampson has 419 friends on Facebook

Lateef Williamson’s Facebook has 1,201 followers.

Zion Williamson’s Facebook has 228,525 followers.

Zion Williamson has 474,000 Twitter followers.

Zion Williamson’s Instagram has 5.1 million followers.