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Come Fan with UsFriday, July 3, 2026

Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett’s March Madness photo is a modern work of art

We’ve never seen a more beautiful photo.

Getty Images
Ricky O'Donnell
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.

Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett didn’t just help Duke advance past North Dakota State in the NCAA tournament on Friday, they also produced an all-time great photograph in the process.

Behold this masterpiece in all its beauty:

North Dakota State v Duke
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

There are moments that transcend sports when captured in a still image. The photo of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston is as synonymous with his legacy as anything else. There’s Bobby Orr soaring horizontal through the air after winning the 1970 Stanley Cup. There’s Dwight Clark’s catch in the back of the end zone. There’s Michael Jordan dunking from the foul line.

Who could forget this image of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade?

This feels like that type of image for Barrett and Williamson, the perfect encapsulation of their rare talent and of this moment. Both will go on to great things in the NBA, but there will never be another time when it all feels so new, and so fun. This photo captures it flawlessly.

Here’s video of the play, which feels decidedly less epic.

The photo of Zion and R.J. immediately went viral on social media.

Here are some of our favorites:

Zion Williamson is even the best part of teammate dunks.

Barrett scored 26 points, and Williamson scored 25 in the win. Duke will play UCF in the next round. Who cares about any of that right now. Let’s just keep staring at this beautiful photo.

Oh, and while we have you here: go like our Instagram post.

Credit: Kevin Cox of Getty Images. You got a good one.

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