Zion Williamson channels his inner Michael Jordan with incredible dunk from free throw line
Dunking sensation Zion Williamson has gone viral once again.
The fifth-ranked prospect in college basketball’s Class of 2018 showed off his hops with a dunk that would make Michael Jordan proud.
Williamson, who is bound for Duke in the fall, threw one down from the free throw line in his latest viral video.
Zion Williamson from the FREETHROW line.. EASY! 👀👀 @ZionW32 pic.twitter.com/V7LnIZ9Dos
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 28, 2018
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Williamson, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, made it look easy, jumping with his toe right on the free throw line.
It calls to mind some iconic dunks by Michael Jordan and Julius Erving in NBA Slam Dunk Contests.
Doctor J did his in 1984, while Jordan did it in 1987. Both stepped slightly over the line, but there’s little doubt that they would have made it from well behind the line, particularly Jordan.
Jordan sailed effortlessly through the air, double clutching as he easily threw it down.
Several years later in the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest, Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka brought it back.
At 6 feet 10, Ibaka is considerably taller than Jordan, Erving or Williamson, but nonetheless he slammed it home. And his foot was clearly right on the line when he took off.
But two of the most impressive “free throw line” dunks may be from LeBron James.
LeBron takes flight for the almost free-throw line dunk: https://t.co/TYDKL5m9qI
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) May 27, 2015
James has done it a couple times, not in contests but in actual games. While he clearly took off a step inside the free throw line on both occasions, the degree of difficulty of doing this in-game is much higher.
LeBron almost dunked from the free throw line during the game😳 We were robbed from seeing him in the dunk contest. https://t.co/8kEoDG5mxU
— Seattle Sonics ON Tap (@SonicsONTap) August 12, 2017
As for Williamson, he is a human highlight reel.
He is part of a ridiculously successful recruiting class by Duke, which landed three of the top five prospects in the country — No. 1 R.J. Barrett from Montverde, Florida; No. 2 Cameron Reddish from Norristown, Pennsylvania; and Williamson.
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