This was not the usual pregame warmup by a visiting player.
Hoping to bear witness to 6-6 and 285 pounds of gravity-defying humanity, the United Center crowd gathered in awe Wednesday night. It was another reminder that Pelicans rookie forward Zion Williamson doesn’t dabble much in convention.
Even the way Williamson handled the flock of media that followed his every move after the morning shootaround — laughing and embracing each question like a laid-back vet rather than a 19-year-old — was far from the norm.
Damn you, NBA lottery balls, and your 12.5 percent curse on the Bulls’ organization!
The Bulls were clinging to that possibility last May, all but praying that they would somehow grab the No. 1 spot and land the closest thing to a generational player since LeBron James. Instead, they got a kick in the teeth and the seventh pick. Alas, it was New Orleans that hit lottery gold.
Now it’s up to Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry to make sure Williamson reaches that potential, and it’s up to Williamson to take all the necessary steps to make sure he carries the mantle of the greats who preceded him.
Not the easiest of tasks, but neither is shying away from the responsibility.
“We’re not downgrading his talent,’’ Gentry said of the media hype that keeps building. “We’re just not going to compare him to anyone. Like I said, we want him to be the best Zion he can be. Eventually, hopefully, his game will improve to the point where everybody will do that. There were certain people who were compared to other great players in this league, and now everybody is comparing kids to them. I just think it’s important we understand what we’re dealing with here and try not to jump the gun on anything.
“Our goal is to make sure he’s better every single day. His goal is to make sure he’s better every single day. As long as we’re on that path, I think we’ll be fine.’’
But even Gentry was reminded of the rock-star attention Williamson already is generating. During the interview with Gentry, Williamson walked off the United Center court, and the media started scrambling, not realizing Williamson was simply going to change into a sweatshirt before his interview.
“He’s not leaving, I promise you,’’ Gentry said to the media.
He then said with a laugh, “Makes me feel great. At least I know where I stand.’’
Gentry stands as the overseer of potential greatness.
“He’s going to be a great player,’’ Gentry said. “We’re just going to make sure it’s done properly, and there’s no timetable for him to dominate the league. . . . He’ll arrive there.’’
He definitely arrived in Chicago and provided a candid description of his personality despite all the fame and fortune.
“I’ll just be myself, and I’m not going to change who I am,’’ Williamson said. “I remember there was a time when I didn’t have all this, and I was the same person, so I’m never going to change.’’
Even with a 46-inch vertical leap, Williamson is exceptionally grounded.
But he also realizes that all eyes are on him, including the glares of opposing players who have heard all the hype since he arrived on campus at Duke last year.
“I think everybody is [looking forward to checking out Williamson],’’ Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky said. “Not only the players, but all the fans. Obviously, he’s a freak of nature, and we’ll see what he’s going to bring. Let’s see what he brings to their team.’’
