Zion Williamson once said, “You may go through a lot of good times, you may go through a lot of bad times, you just have to try to prepare yourself as best as you can, and for me, that’s just sticking with my family.” For the New Orleans Pelicans star, his loved ones mean a lot to him. They did more than that just raise him. His family instilled in him the qualities that have made him the player he is today. Throughout his five-year-long career, fans have gotten to know much about the people who raised Zion, either through interviews or through in-depth reports.

However, Zion has only divulged specific information about his family, not going too deep into his family background or roots. Therefore, it is now up to us to find out the truth about the 24-year-old.

What is Zion Williamson’s background?

The future NBA star was born in North Carolina to Sharonda Sampson and Lateef Williamson. According to reports, both Lateef and Sharonda Sampson are of American nationality, but they do share African-American ethnicities. His grandmother reportedly advised Sharonda to name him after “something extra special”. As a result, he was named after the biblical location, Mount Zion, located near the holy city of Jerusalem. Whether it was his name or something else, Zion would grow up to become a staunch Baptist.

Both Lateef and Sharonda shared a love for sports, finding success in their high school and college careers. At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Zion’s father was a defensive lineman at Mayo High School before committing to NC State and later transferring to Livingstone College. While he never advanced further, Lateef left a mark, with former NC coach Mike O’Cain praising his athleticism. Sharonda was a sprinter at Livingstone, where she likely met Lateef.

Zion’s parents separated when he was just five, but Sharonda later married Lee Anderson, a former college basketball player at Clemson. This union brought Zion a step-brother, Noah Anderson, who is 13 years younger.

Zion developed a passion for basketball from the age of 5 itself. With his father no longer being a part of his life, it was his mother who provided him with the necessary encouragement and coaching. During a 2020 interview, he revealed how “My mom to this day is the hardest coach I’ve ever had. There were times when my stepdad would look at me and say ‘you had a good game’ and my mom would be like ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, you had 2 or 3 turnovers.” Both Sharona and Lee were aligned in their goal of seeing Zion grow. Therefore, from an early age, he was told that ‘if you want to be one of the greatest, you’ve got to work when nobody’s working,’ causing him to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to practice at the outdoor court.

That effort has now allowed him to become the lead scorer for the New Orleans Pelicans. He has also found himself on the All-Star Team twice, and earning All-Rookie First-team honors.

Throughout his stepson’s NBA career, Lee Anderson was a constant support to Zion. Along with serving as his personal coach, he has also been his crisis management consultant as well as the representative in contract negotiations. The love for Zion even caused Lee to once take a stance against one of the most prominent voices in the NBA world.

Did Zion Williamson’s step-father call up Stephen A. Smith after the latter criticized the player’s weight?

Back in December, an In-Season Tournament matchup saw the Pelicans lose to the Lakers by a score of 133-89 loss. Zion Williamson, the lead scorer for his team, managed to only make 13 points. While he did shoot 6-8 field goals, he faltered severely with his free throws by only making 1-6, accompanied by 0-0 three-pointers.

In light of this, Stephen A. Smith was quick to criticize the player. However, instead of the skills, Smith’s main point of focus was the weight, as he stated “Zion Williamson … went to the free throw line – Ladies and gentlemen, I saw a belly. A belly. Like, when he took a deep breath, his belly bounced. What’s up, Zion? It’s bad enough getting you’re a*s kicked … But you look like you showed up to the game having just ate a buffet. Not something from the buffet, I said the buffet. Like you ate the damn table…He’s fat.”

A lot unfolded the next time the sportscaster returned to the air. The next segment saw Smith revealing details of his call with Lee Anderson, stating “His stepdad called me this morning, and we had a really, really good conversation.” Smith did not apologize, but he stated that the ‘criticism’ only came from a good place. Smith has claimed that all he wants is for Zion to improve.

Amidst the missing support from his biological father, Zion may find comfort in the fact that he has a step-father to fight the battles he chooses not to. Thanks to that and the continuing love from his mother too, the 24-year-old may very well state that he has a supportive family.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.