LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet and arguably the greatest to ever lace them up, but if you ask Stephon Marbury, King James already has been surpassed by one Zion Williamson.
No, that’s not a typo.
Marbury, who has spent the last handful of years hooping in China, took to Instagram Live Saturday and proclaimed that Duke’s star freshman, who has yet to play a college basketball game, already is better than King James.
“Zion is going to destroy the whole planet,” Marbury said, via CBS Sports. “Zion is way better than LeBron, it’s not even close … He don’t have to touch a basketball and he’s better than LeBron James. I said that.”
Perhaps Marbury hasn’t watched the NBA since he left in 2009, but James has firmly cemented himself as one of, if not the best to ever play the game. The 33-year-old forward is a three-time NBA champion, four-time MVP and 14-time All-Star who has appeared in eight straight NBA Finals, the latest of which took a herculean effort.
Williamson certainly is talented, of that there is no doubt. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward has ridiculous athleticism and is known for his highlight-reel dunks. But the 18-year-old also is dynamic with the ball in his hands and has the ability to be an elite rebounder.
Williamson will be one of the biggest stars in college basketball this upcoming season and could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Williamson could be the NBA’s next big star, and perhaps he, like James, will grow into a legend in his own right.
But he has a ways to go before he even begins to approach the heights James has reached.
As for Marbury, he might need to tune into the upcoming NBA season to fully grasp the King’s greatness.
