Zion Williamson becomes fastest player to 2,000 career points since Michael Jordan
By Kristen Wong
Zion Williamson came up big for the New Orleans Pelicans over the weekend and joined an exclusive club for his record-breaking performance.
On Saturday night, the Pelicans suffered a critical loss to the San Antonio Spurs which could possibly squash their playoff hopes this season. Now for the good news: Williamson broke a pretty incredible record that night.
Even though Williamson recorded 33 points and 14 rebounds, his double-double wasn’t enough to secure the win for the Pelicans in a game that had fans grumbling about free throws. It was, however, enough to join the 2,000 career points club.
With Saturday night’s numbers, Williamson reached the 2,000 career point mark in just his 79th game. In the last 40 years, the only player that’s done it quicker is Michael Jordan, for whom it took 73 games in 1985.
Zion Williamson reaches 2,000 career points in fewer than two seasons
The 20-year-old scoring phenomenon puts himself shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best company. Currently, his record ties that of Rick Barry and Elgin Baylor, placing him 10th fastest in NBA history. Prior to 1985, players who have also reached the 2,000 career point mark include the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – all Hall-of-Famers and some of the greatest to ever play the game.
So far in his career, Williamson has averaged 25.6 points and 3.2 assists, with a 60.8 field goal percentage. Of course, Williamson still has some ways to go, especially since it seems his team might not even qualify for playoffs. The Pelicans lost to one of their most competitive rivals in the play-in tournament fixture and sit four games behind the No. 10 seed, the Golden State Warriors.
As the first-round draft pick in 2019, Williamson certainly is proving his worth in the league already. Even if the Pelicans don’t make it far this season, congratulations are in order for Williamson who is already turning into a bonafide New Orleans star.