No matter which collegiate team one supports, the hope for a national invitational all-star game always starts with the avoidance of injuries for all players. Wednesday’s McDonald’s All American Game in Atlanta almost got accomplished that … until a freak hand injury claimed one of the game’s brightest starts with less than six minutes remaining.
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During a drive into the lane, Spartanburg Day superstar and Duke signee Zion Williamson slipped while attempting to back down Nassir Little of the West squad. He extended his hand to the court in an attempt to balance, but his thumb appeared to make contact at an awkward angle, leaving him rolling on his back in pain, the thumb pointing in the wrong direction and ESPN’s Jay Williams offering up an audible, “Ohhhhhh.”
According to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, Williamson was en route to see his personal orthopedist in North Carolina on Thursday. That’s a good thing, because his thumb appeared to be clearly broken or dislocated. One or the other.
As for his future, Williamson is already locked in with Duke, and he’s likely to arrive on campus in the summer. Now he just may have to take his time after he gets there, depending on Thursday’s prognosis.
