'Adam, please don't fine me': Steve Kerr heaps praise on Duke freshman Zion Williamson before comparing him to LeBron James
- No college basketball player has more buzz surrounding him right now than Duke's Zion Williamson.
- The 6-foot-7, 285-pound power forward poured 28 points and 7 rebounds into the Blue Devils' 118-84 rout of the Kentucky Wildcats Tuesday night.
- Williamson's performance caught the eye of Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who was so impressed that he compared him to four-time NBA MVP LeBron James.
- Kerr quickly remembered that he could be fined for speaking about players on his team directly and apologized to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Duke freshman Zion Williamson is taking the whole basketball world by storm.
The Blue Devils absolutely annihilated No. 2 Kentucky at the Champions Classic to deal head coach John Calipari the worst defeat of his career at any level. In just 23 minutes on the floor, the 6-foot-7, 285-pound power forward racked up 28 points and 7 rebounds on 85% shooting.
Check out some highlights from Tuesday night's top-five matchup:
Aside from putting the earthquake-inducing dunks that made him a social media sensation on full display, Williamson demonstrated a polished handle and even drained a shot from beyond the arc for his first points in a Duke uniform. He is, without a doubt, a complete package, the likes of which come only once in a generation.
Or so Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr thought.
"I saw some kid on Duke last night who was pretty impressive," Kerr said, per The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "I thought LeBron was a one-shot deal, but apparently the next guy is coming."
In speaking to the media on Wednesday, Kerr gushed over Williamson's next-level talent but knew better than to mention his name outright. When asked which one of the Blue Devils' top-ranked freshmen he was referring to, the eight-time NBA champion simply said: "the one who is 285 [pounds]."
"Before I get fined I'm going to change the subject," Kerr joked, drawing a chuckle from the press around him. "I dug my own grave on that one. [NBA commissioner] Adam [Silver], please don't fine me, wherever you are!"
When a reporter quipped that the Warriors likely will not have a high enough pick to acquire Williamson in the 2019 NBA Draft, Kerr began to answer before miming out zipping his lips and walking away.
Something tells me that Silver - who graduated from Duke in 2014 and currently sits on the university's Board of Trustees - may be sympathetic to Kerr on this one.
Take a look at the full video below: