6 reasons why Zion Williamson’s injury should change the way we talk about sports

Zion Williamson’s injury against UNC on Wednesday night was one of the most significant sports injuries I have ever seen, and I only say “one of” as a hedge. Racking my brain, I can’t think of anything bigger. Some were more shocking, or more gruesome, or (hopefully) longer-term. Even in the worst case scenario, say a season-ending ACL tear, Williamson may still be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

But even if Williamson isn’t affected by this, we have been. And certainly no one could possibly look at the NCAA or sports as a whole in the same way. The way this injury occurred, and to who, and where, and when, and how, may have forever altered how we talk about athletes.

Shoe blowouts happen. There was seemingly an NBA epidemic of them in 2014. I couldn’t find another high-profile instance in the college or pro game since then, but I’m sure there have been some.

But not nearly enough to make what happened Wednesday anything less than flooring. And of course, if there was anyone who could bust out of a Nike it was Williamson, a player of superhero levels of talent and athleticism.

Yes, this absolutely should add to the running list of things that constitute the Legend of Zion. This is now The Time Zion Was So Strong And Quick He Exploded His Shoes forever and always. This is branded into your brain now.

Let’s talk more about “Williamson, a player of superhero levels of talent and athleticism.” I remember when my very good colleague Ricky O’Donnell wrote this story about Williamson’s dunking prowess in high school, he was talked down from the headline “Zion Williamson is already one of the best dunkers of all time.” By Slack room consensus, it was deemed a step too far. Williamson had just, by a matter of days, turned 17 years old.

Williamson is already one of the best dunkers of all time. And guess what, dunking isn’t even what he’s best at (hat tip to Ricky once again). Heading into Williamson’s freshman year at Duke, there was no question about his potential, but plenty of questions about how a player of his unique build — at 6’7, 285 pounds, he’d already be the second-heaviest player in the NBA — and limited shooting capability would fit in the NBA. He was projected to go No. 5 overall in SB Nation’s way-too-early 2019 mock draft last June.

Today, there’s no question he would go No. 1 if healthy. He has answered, emphatically, that yes, he really moves that quick for a man that size, and that he shoots more than serviceably enough (like, 75.3 percent from two type of serviceably) to make him a menace in almost every facet of basketball.

The average ticket price for Duke-UNC was more than $4,000, making it the hottest ticket ever in the history of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Darren Rovell, sports’ dweeby unofficial cataloguer of brands and excess, laid out the horrible details.

The matchup drew a star-studded crowd headlined by former President Barack Obama, but also featuring Spike Lee, Ken Griffey Jr., and more. Williamson’s games have drawn LeBron James and Jay-Z in the past, too, likely in connection to a forthcoming battle to represent the phenom during his professional career.

That’s a lot of money and attention generated by one man who, I shouldn’t have to remind you, is playing for free. The NCAA cleared a billion dollars in revenue in 2017, largely thanks to a TV contract for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the championship tournament for the league that Williamson plays in. A league that Williamson only plays in because the NCAA and NBA colluded a long time ago to implement the one-and-done rule, which needlessly and recklessly keeps basketball players from signing with an NBA team until they are at least 19 years old. Williamson was forced to make the choice between doing an unpaid year of high-profile work or playing overseas before beginning an inevitable career playing with the world’s best.

College athletes should have been getting paid a long time ago. And in the whole sordid history of college athletics, perhaps no player has deserved to get paid as much as Williamson does. If you watched Wednesday’s game, you’d be cruel to deny that.

Pay Zion. Pay all them. Pay them their goddamn money.

I saw it. You saw it. And if you didn’t see it, you’ll be hearing about it so much that you’re liable to forget, years down the road, that you never actually saw it.

So there’s no hiding, then. If anyone still gets aghast at the idea of Williamson resting the rest of the season to preserve his body for the pros, or that college football players probably should sometimes sit out bowl games, or for any reason still clings to the destructive idea that amateurism is good or wholesome, then screw them.

If they saw the most jaw-dropping athlete of our lives get hurt for no rhyme or reason — and they did — in a game that many people except him were making money on, then screw them.

No one should actually give a crap about the fact that Zion ripped through Nikes a few months before he’s set to sign one of the richest shoe deals ever. They should only care long enough to have a nice long point-and-laugh at a corporate behemoth that leverages the likeness and work of athletes to sell things.

A freak accident can occur at any time, in any place, but it shouldn’t occur like this, to a future megastar who was nonetheless in the midst of being exploited.

It’s hard to tell whether we talk about that rampant exploitation — not just of Williamson, but of countless athletes — too much or too little. Paying the damn players isn’t a novel concept, and no one wants to be the one person constantly bringing down a good time for everyone. But then, nights like Wednesday show us that because of the the hype and thrill and fun and possibility of sports, it’s as jarring as ever that still nothing has been done to fix the broken parts.

If Williamson sat out the rest of the season, even if he was healthy enough to return next game, no one could be heartless enough to blame him. And if we can come to a consensus that we should be sympathetic in this case, then it ought to be a slippery slope to extend that sympathy on down the line of endless cases of young athletes being used.

Ought to be isn’t the same as will be, but whatever you believe, you’ll have to reckon with Williamson eventually. Remember that? The Time Zion Was So Strong And Quick He Exploded His Shoes? Of course you do, and you shouldn’t forget it even if you ever could.