Zion Williamson gifts Shannon Sharpe a pair of the Jordan Zion 1 | EPISODE 28 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

hello welcome to another edition of club. shayche i am your host. also the proprietor of club shay shade. the guy that's coming by for a drinking. conversation today. he's just barely old enough to have a. drink but because he's in season. he's only having water today the 2019. number one overall pick in the nba draft. he was just elected to the all-star game. he's the fourth youngest ever selected. to an all-star game behind colby. lebron and magic johnson and he's a. member of the all. rookie team zion williamson all my life.

grinding all my life sacrifice hustle. paid the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. all my life been running all my life. sacrifice. thoughts will pay the price wanna slice. got to roll the dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life. zion how you doing i'm well how about. yourself. i'm good i'm good thanks for coming on. give me a couple of minutes today to. stop by club shay shay and talk to me.

thanks for having me man all right you. know why you're here. talk to us about your signature shoot. when you're growing up in south carolina. as a kid. i know you purchased probably the. jordans or maybe the kobe's. maybe even the lebrons did you ever. think a small kid from spartanburg south. carolina would have his own. shoe and people would be wearing the. zion williamson uh. nah i never i never thought i would have.

it uh. growing up in a small town called. florence south carolina. oh you from florida yes sir okay. so you so you grew up in florence you. moved to spartanburg yes sir. okay okay uh you know growing up there. uh. you know it's one thing you as a kid you. know i said it just saying. one day i'm gonna have my own sneaker. but right as you get older you see that. it's tough to get your own sneaker you. right hearts have to fall right. uh you have to be in the right situation.

and you know a brand has to be willing. to say. we're gonna give you a shoe right so. when jordan brand. that day they came to me and said we. want to give you a signature it was. you can't you can't make you can't make. stuff up like that like there is. it's just thank you thank you for the. opportunity. a little bit about the shoe your big. superhero fan the tongue is kind of like. i guess it's. maybe like a cape you have your uh the z.

dub. you have your initials on the shoe they. can't see this but explain you have like. your mom your stepdad your brothers you. have a lot of things going on on the. bottom of the shoe tell the people at. home a little bit about the shoe. um well like you said uh. the superhero theme uh tongue i don't. know if i'm really allowed to say the. superhero's name but. you know the tongue is like. when i was young i remember when i used. to chop my shoes like for some reason my.

favorite part was always kind of like. pulling the tongue off so uh. you know i've kind of made it a emphasis. on you know i want my tongue to be. something like different so. it looks like it has armor on it right. and you know on the side you know i told. jordan brand that. when somebody walks in the store i want. them to be like. yeah that's the shoe right that's what. the z. right here represents right and then on. the bottom of the shoe.

you know i have my family's names right. sharonda coach noah. tyree but then also i have spartanburg. jonathan flowtown and durham okay. that's florence that's spartanburg. that's durham where you play college. ball. yes sir okay you also have something on. the side one of these sides here. i think you got shocked the world right. yes sir shark the world and let's dance. okay.

so when you say when it says okay. zion we want to give you a signature. shoot now obviously you got to make it. zion proof there are going to be no. blowouts right so when you make a sudden. move. you elevate you straight no blow outs no. blow outs. so when you're sitting down with the. design team to design your shoe. did you know exactly what you wanted or. did they kind of guide you says okay. zion what do you think about this and. you say yeah i kind of like that but i. kind of want to go more in this. direction. so how did you you know design this shoe.

because it's. for for someone your size this shoe is. really light. uh all right i guess i'll take it back. to when it started. okay uh rookie here um. was in new york and when i was unveiling. the jordan 34. and i was in this hotel suite with me my. family. and uh a bunch of jordan ran people in. okay you know they they put this. recorder on i said alright z we're about. to.

start recording so be prepared. okay they might have axed 100-plus. questions some of them about basketball. some of them not about basketball right. something about what's going on in the. world someone about. superheroes like and i was. after i left i was like why why why did. they ask all that. right somehow they took everything i. said and. they put it into like three. different like types of shoes and.

mock-ups. mock-ups yeah and i remember when i saw. the one they had the z on the side like. there. there really wasn't no hesitation i said. let's go with that one let's start. right now okay we start with that okay. now we got a mold. uh and then you know like you said uh no. blowouts. you said it was very light but. i feel like i i generate a lot of force. you do generate a lot of water. but but uh i also make i also like to.

make a lot of cuts and. slashes so what they did was the. engineering team. they made the back lock right locked. down like support. right okay while the front has a lot of. lightweight materials that allows me to. still. make my cuts and all those quick uh. twitch movements. right i'm looking at this this like. feels like mesh. it's not it's not a leather it's not a. you know like we would normally see. in the typical shoe was that by design.

did you want something like. it seems durable but it's very light. it's lighter than leather. uh you know it's one of those things. where uh. i kind of let the engineering team like. do that part like the small details in. the material. but uh you know we came together and we. were like uh. did we think this one would look the. best so. here we are with it so you know when i. was growing up everybody wanted to be.

like mike and says okay if i get the. jordan. if i get these jordans i'm gonna be able. to elevate so with kids get these v's. they're gonna be able to elevate like. zion. yeah if they eat good they might. okay let's go back and i tell people. this story the very first time i met. mike. i was in at the super bowl in atlanta i. got in the elevator. and i'm looking at him and he's looking. at me and he's probably like this dude. weird. but he didn't seem real he seemed like a.

god. he seemed like he was levitating and. that's what i tell people i said you. don't get it i said i've never met a man. i said i've met a lot of people a lot of. famous people. actors and entertainers and and. and all them i say something about mike. mike doesn't seem real. he's the and i hate being blasphemous uh. zion. he might be the closest thing to god. that we'll ever meet. so when you met him for the very first. time what were you thinking what went. through your mind.

when i met when i met him for the very. first time. i was at uh all-star weekend my. rookie year and it was at his jordan. brand party. yeah and it's like you said. like you can't. you can't describe that you can't. describe that feeling you get it. it's it's one of those that's him. yes and he don't even play no more like.

you you're like. that's him like yes that's. the guy yes uh so i mean. it's like you said it was like me. meeting black jesus or something like. that that's him right there it's like he. was probably sitting down probably had a. cigar. but it was almost like he was levitating. like i know he's sitting on the couch. but i don't really see the couch. how are you just sitting there hovering. in the air. when you grow up like you.

started off in florence he was born in. florence your family moved to. spartanburg. you're playing i assume you played you. played football too right. uh yeah i played football up until. seventh grade. up until seventh so you decided to just. focus on basketball once you hit the. seventh grade you decide to focus on. on basketball only yeah i played. football in soccer. uh because it was fun and my friend. played it. but basketball i played that year around.

i just had a. love for it so when i got seventh grade. all my intentions going to basketball. basketball basketball you go to high. school. you go to you go to spartanburg country. day correct uh spartanburg day school. spartanburg day school your basketball. and then. here's the thing zion you're very unique. because you're growing up in a social. media age. and at the time a lot of people didn't. know about you until they started. somebody started at your game had a.

camera phone and started. posting those dunks and they're like. hold on wait a minute ain't no way that. kid in high school. did you see how high he is over the rim. there's no way. so you had more followers as probably as. a high school. than some of these other star basketball. players. have that were currently in the nba what. was going through your mind you like. man i got a thousand followers i got. five hundred thousand followers i got a. million followers. and i'm in high school uh. man when it was happening i think the.

people around me like my classmates and. my teachers. i think they made it more of a big deal. than i did myself. uh because i remember i would come out. of a class and kids would say. hey man you just went up like fifty. thousand followers in this class. after a while i was like okay i got it. right. but uh you know i was 16 when all that. started happening and. i guess uh being 16 and that stuff's.

happening it's just one of those. hey they really care about me like right. that's that's love. that's all i could think i mean that was. just love go back to the shoe. you decide to put your mom your family. why was it so important. because you talk every time i hear you. talk you always mention your mom. not only i understand that she gave you. life but she was your coach. she was your critic from from the. beginning. she still usually you you talked to her. and she criticized your game like hey. bruh you i need more than that from you.

talk to us about your mom. um my mom is. she's everything she was she's just. always been there when it was just me. her and my brother. uh you know in a situation where it was. what's next like well just uh she. worked above and beyond just so as kids. we didn't. even have to answer those questions so. uh.

when i got to seventh grade and she. started coaching me. uh for basketball what was that like to. have your mom. as a coach i mean. you're at home with her you're in the. car ride with her and then you're at the. game with her. right and uh man. uh he was she was tough. and you know i'm i'm like in seventh. grade and. i'm remembering like mom i just mom i. dropped 30 the last game what you want.

you owe 40 you want 50. and she's probably like yeah that's what. i want. uh i mean it was just always something. and. you know at the time uh i'm a kid so i. don't. i don't know what she's preparing me for. i had to look at my stepfather who. trained me i had to go coach. am i playing that bad like you you. trained me am i playing that back. you had to go you understand later on. the road right. and you know that's like me involved in. that.

uh so as i got older you know uh. it did prepare me like that you know. basketball is a game of run so if a team. is going on a run just to remain. calm right on the fourth quarter just. play your game don't try to. force things because you're getting. complacent uh it was. her doing all that just made me a better. player. you have shocked the world also on your. sneakers. um and a lot of people say you're the.

most touted high school guy. since lebron because although you were. not allowed i don't know if you would. have even. attempted to come out if you could have. come out as a high school senior. uh after your senior year do you. do you feel the pressure do you know. what's expected of zion at such a young. age. um nah i could ask that a lot and. you know it's uh i guess it would be. like if i asked you. do you feel pressured to go up there. every day on tv and.

just be your to be yourself no like. i'm going to work and i get to do what i. love and i get to be who i am so. like no you don't feel you don't really. feel no pressure. what would you decide to go to duke and. you know. hey i'm going to duke but guess what. they got four other. five-star guys that's going to do what. made you decide to go to. duke and it was reported that you wanted. to come back for another year. and coach casey zion i would love to.

have you back but son. you got to get up out of here uh. yeah like you said there were uh three. other. five stars uh in my class. and trey uh but you know i always wanted. to go to duke i just never said it. and you know i want to have an. opportunity to play for coach k but. also when you go to the nba draft. you don't know which team you're going. to go to they may already be.

you don't have to worry about that. you're like there's going to be a short. bit this is going to be a short wait in. the green room for your boy. uh but you know in high school you don't. know which team you're gonna go to and. it's like. you could go to a team where they have. their one. one and two guy or their top three guys. so right. my thing was all right i'm gonna go here. and i'm gonna play with other great. players but. i'ma also learn how to play off them. play around him and you know just play.

different aspects of the game and i feel. like coach k was the perfect coach. with his usa basketball experience to. show you how to do that. right you go to you go to new orleans. and you know what's expected of you you. follow a.d a.d was the number one. overall pick. um he didn't he got him to the playoffs. a couple times but he didn't bring them. a championship. when you come in as the number one. overall pick magic johnson. lebron james anthony davis who is now a. champion. that's expected of zion are you.

comfortable carrying that carrying that. burden. uh i mean if they want to put it on me. that. that's fine with me because that's. that's why we play the game. we play the game to win to leave our. mark on it and. to chase championships so if they want. to put that burden on me. hey it's fine i'll take it but i get to. do what i love and. i'm a competitor i do want to win so. that's why we play the game.

zion you did the dunk contest if i'm not. mistaken at the mcdonald's all-american. game. you won are you tempted to do the dunk. contest. at the nba all-star game. yeah i'm very tempted uh you know. watching it this year i was kind of like. man maybe i should have you you could. have got your you got you you better. uh well yeah uh it may be in my future. i was very tempted now you gotta tell me.

y'all gotta put 10 million. you want to take off. give me your mouth rush more dunkers the. greatest dunkers. pass current however you want to list it. give me your top four dunkers. i had to go top four dunkers all right. uh. man i'm gonna go with mixing it between. like dunk contest and in game okay a.

combination of both. uh mike gotta have a mic. up there yep uh. i'll put dominique up there as well okay. yep meek. um gotta put brian up there just respect. uh a lot of in-game posters uh. crazy athletic and my fourth one. vince you went. you went fairly modern you didn't really. go old school you didn't really go dr. j or none of those guys but.

what make what makes a great dunker do. do you have to posterize someone. is it the flash is it the pizzazz. because. mike not only can mike soar through the. air might. call bodies braun braun is really not. the creative dunker but he got a lot of. bodies on his resume. uh i think what makes a great dunker i. think being able to. be able to do it when nobody's there.

versus. you're playing 515 in the nba game and. you're able to go. and dunk people say oh it looks easy but. it's actually not it's just. not easy doing that so uh you know i. think for. those players to be able to do it. in-game and when they're just by. themselves. i think that adds a lot to how i judge. it if you could dunk on. anybody pass the president who would you. like to dunk on. ah man uh some of you gonna catch your. balls you wanna catch your balls you.

gotta catch your boss. man i would say if i had to pick because. i get accent on every people if i had to. pick. i would say uh wilt chamber if i had. that one on my resume that's a. that's a big one let's just say for the. sake of argument zion you had stuck with. football. and not done the basketball thing do you. make believe you could have made it to. the nfl as an nfl player.

yeah i believe yeah yeah i believe i. could. i'm just a competitor yeah so hold on so. what are you going to play. you're going to be a wide receiver. you're going to be a tight end you're. going to be a defensive lineman. you're going to be an offensive lineman. man i don't even know i think i mean. with your personality i don't think. you're gonna want the ball. offensively offensive ladder don't. really get the ball so you might have to. be a tight end or something. maybe a defensive line but i can see you. on the defensive line i think i need to.

do tight in a receiver. one of those two for those two. a lot of been talked about they're like. look there's no question about the guy's. ability. he's gonna be great i think the concern. that a lot of people have. is your weight they've never seen a guy. your size be able to move like you move. you're as. explosive as anybody regardless of size. but when you compound that with your. size and how explosive you are. what changes have you made because you.

look i mean they had training wheels on. you last year. they took those off and said zion you're. gonna play you play and they put the. ball in your hands now. what modifications to your training to. your diet and your nutrition. have you made this year to make sure. you're able to sustain that over the. next 10 15 years. um i would just say. the main thing is just practicing. landing. practicing game like movements and. trying to find the most efficient.

safest way when i'm making certain. movements uh. and strengthening you know i don't know. how to come up with some of this stuff. but. don't put me in these like strange. positions like. this is how you are in the game so we. need to strengthen. strength right here from this position. and you know they do all that and. i mean i can feel the difference uh when. i'm out there i do feel the difference. i mean you're well you're 21 now 20. you're 20 okay 20. i mean hey you're 20.

year old i mean. you like you know burgers you like you. know chicken you like pizza. but you know as a top level elite. athlete you you really can't. partake in that like a normal 20 year. old and still be as effective. as you would want to be and you're in. new orleans which doesn't help. uh that's just real. that's what you said is real uh and. you know my my mom and stuff did a great. job of explaining that to me.

uh when i was younger saying you know. there are going to be some things you. can do and some things you won't be able. to do because of profession. you want to have so all that was. explained to me. zion thank you for coming on man. congratulations on the shoe. this is the zionyan williamson first. shoe. the z dub go out and get it people. appreciate it good luck the rest of the. year bro. thank you thanks for having me man. thanks for coming on all my life. grinding all my life sacrifice hustle.

paid the price. wanna slice got the roll of dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. all my all my life sacrifice. plus will pay the price wanna slice got. to roll it dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life. [Music]. you know what to do hit the subscribe. button to become an official member of. club shayshay. where we always do something before. tucson.