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Zion Williamson Is Already on the Receiving End of Trash Talk from an NBA Star

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NBA players have watched the hype surrounding former Duke star Zion Williamson, the first overall pick in the NBA draft, and no doubt have formed their own opinions on the young phenom.

Will he be as good as advertised? Is he overhyped?

Most players have kept their opinions on the Pelicans rookie to themselves, but not Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter.

In an appearance Wednesday on FS1’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Kanter didn’t hold back on his thoughts about Williamson. In the process, he trash talked not just Williamson, but indirectly, one of his Pelicans teammates.

“I love Zion Williamson. He can pass, he’s big, he’s strong. I think he’s got a magnetism,” Cowherd said. “You think he’s overrated.”

“I kind of feel like he’s overhyped,” Kanter said. “I feel like he’s Julius Randle with hops.”

Do you think Zion Williamson is overrated?

Randle is Williamson’s teammate, at least for now. On Sunday, Randle, who had a breakout year in New Orleans with 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, becomes an unrestricted free agent.

“By the way, you’re not the first person who’s said that,” Cowherd said.

“Some players are scared to say it, but you know me,” Kanter said. “I’m not scared to say anything.”

Cowherd then asked the Blazers center how he would he defend Williamson.

“I would just let him shoot,” Kanter said. Williamson’s outside shot has been labeled his biggest weakness by scouts and pundits.

But then Kanter qualified his evaluation of Williamson.

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“If he develops his shot, he definitely could become a Hall of Famer,” Kanter said. “It’s all in his hands. He just needs to put the work in and just go out there and show the whole world.”

Randle got wind of Kanter’s indirect knock on him and had a savage comeback.

“Yo @EnesKanter last time you guarded me I had 45 relax bro lol,” he tweeted.

But you knew Kanter would get the last word.

“I remember Brother. That was the game y’all got the ‘L,'” he fired back.

Williamson didn’t comment, but you can bet he will respond on the court when the Pelicans face the Blazers.

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Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.
Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.
Location
Massachusetts
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Sports




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