NEW YORK _ On Thursday night, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made official what many had surmised for months: Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were the top-two picks in the NBA draft.
The South Carolina natives went to the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively, with both drastically altering the future of their franchises.
"I didn't think I'd be in this position," an emotional Williamson told ESPN after being selected No. 1. "My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn't be here without her. ... I dreamed about this since I was 4."
Williamson, who played for one season at Duke, becomes the face of the Pelicans in wake of the team's trade of Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers and will face immediate pressure of leading a franchise full of young players including Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward is the most-hyped draft prospect since LeBron James in 2003 and will face similar hurdles to the former Cavs star, from leading a small-market franchise to the supporting cast around him.
Morant enters Memphis with similar expectations after the Grizzlies traded star point guard Mike Conley to Utah on Wednesday, clearing the way for the team to take him and immediately make him the focal point of the offense. Morant's drafting is an impressive feat for the 6-foot-3 point guard, because he played for a mid-major school in Murray State, which hardly ever produces lottery picks. Morant gives second-year forward Jaren Jackson a partner as Memphis works on its rebuild.
Morant declined to talk about his fit with specific teams on Wednesday, simply saying he enjoyed each visit he had with teams. Williamson said he doesn't look at his situation as pressure, because he gets to play basketball for a living, a situation not many can relate to.
Williamson starred at Spartanburg Day High School in the Upstate of South Carolina. Morant, from Dalzell near Sumter, was a standout at Crestwood High.
They played together in 2015 in high school on the South Carolina Hornets AAU team.
