Basketball personifies America’s personality through sport. While football represents the mental and physical toughness and baseball represents the patience and humility in global crisis, basketball combines all of that as well as an added touch of glamour. Basketball represents the Hollywood aspect of American sports.

Throughout the history books of the league the greatest icons and legends are always know by one name: Russell, Oscar, Magic, Larry, Jordan, Kobe, Steph, and LeBron. To me, if you’re recognized by one name you are the very definition of glamorous. Which leads me to the man with the lone title that this column is about.

Zion Williamson.

The name alone just breathes big time NBA stardom. NBA players throughout history have had amazing names that growing up, I wish I had as mine. But this one just jumps off the page. It’s like this name was pulled out of the matrix and given at birth to the next great generational player in NBA history.

The 6 foot 7 inch player who was named South Carolina’s ‘Mr. Basketball’ in high school is taking the college basketball world by storm. In a decade where the sports biggest stars have only played one individual season, Zion Williamson is no different. Before he stepped onto campus in Durham his mixtapes from Spartanburg Day School were all over the country. He was on the cover of Slam in High School and he had Drake rocking his high school jersey!

Yes Zion Williamson is utterly awesome. But unfortunately, a lot of this country’s young basketball minds will find themselves at the most evil place in college basketball: Duke University. All the chips fell into place once again for the Cameron Crazies when Duke was able to land the first, second and third ranked players in the class of 2018.

After their first game against Kentucky in Indianapolis, they put a mark on the sport for basically the rest of this season. Zion dropped 28 points against the legend John Calipari, with a plethora of science defying dunks that would make Dick Vitale have an aneurism.

For basketball fans who are Generation X and Millennials, hating Duke is a tradition unlike any other and 2018 is going to be the pinnacle. But, unless you go to a Tobacco Road school, you really have to admire his greatness. This man is going to revolutionize the game. His dunk show during a game is that of LeBron’s 2002-03 Senior year at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. He has a post presence like Kevin Durant and explodes to the basket like Jason Williams. 2019 is going to be the year of Zion.

Zion Williamson is exactly what an earth shattering NBA prospect looks and sounds like, and he’s going to be coming to a gym near you. And hopefully, one day, a certain gym approximately 40 miles from our campus.

Dante Centofanti is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].