Ever since Zion Williamson exploded through his PG 2.5’s and exited Duke’s loss to North Carolina with a knee sprain, the basketball world, including NBA players like DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas, have been calling for Williamson to sit out the rest of the season. His NBA value, the thinking goes, can only decrease by playing and risking re-injury. Add Kevin Love to the chorus of voices advocating for Williamson to take the rest of the season off.
“If I were him, I’d probably say, especially after a scare like this, I’d heavily consider telling the NCAA to pay us or else shutting it down and doing what’s best for his family,” Love told The Athletic. “That kid is really an exceptional talent and from everything I’ve heard, he’s a great kid. I think he’s going to have a lot of success in this league. I would lean toward not coming back.”
Love went on to say that while he and his teammates were playing solely to win an NCAA title during his time at UCLA, and that it was never about money for them, he believes college basketball players are going to start taking the path that’s already been laid out by many college football players who have started sitting out their team’s bowl games.
“I think you’re going to see it more and more now that if kids are going to the NIT or you don’t have a chance to win the national championship or a kid goes down with the injury, you’re just going to shut it down,” Love said.
If Williamson does decline to return to the court for Duke this season, it could have a ripple effect. As the NBA looks to make changes to the age requirement and the “one-and-done” rule, college hoops could have a vastly different look in the coming years.
