Zion Williamson out of Duke-UNC game for knee injury after blowing out his shoe
Duke star Zion Williamson was taken out of the much-hyped UNC-Duke matchup after injuring his knee when his shoe blew out in the first minute of play. Williamson was driving the ball 33 seconds in when his left foot came out his shoe, causing him to fall to the floor clutching his right knee.
Duke tweeted shortly after that Williamson would not be returning.
UPDATE: Zion Williamson will not return. Knee.
— Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 21, 2019
Williamson, widely expected to be the top NBA draft pick, left clutching his knee.
"It's a mild knee sprain," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Williamson's injury after the game, adding that more information will be available Thursday. "The knee is stable. We don't know how long he'll be out."
The top-ranked Duke lost to No. 8 seed UNC 88-72. Williamson's injury took the life out of Duke, CBS Sports reports, saying the team was listless throughout the game.
The tickets for the game went for as much as $3,000, according to CBS Sports. Former President Obama attended, sitting courtside, and was greeted by cheers.
He later tweeted about Williamson's injury:
Zion Williamson seems like an outstanding young man as well as an outstanding basketball player. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 21, 2019