HE'S THE MOST EXCITING YOUNG PLAYER IN THE NBA RIGHT NOW.
AT JUST 20 YEARS OLD, HE'S ALREADY AN ALL-STAR AND ONE OF
THE TOP SCORERS IN THE LEAGUE.
JOINING US FOR HIS FIRST EVER LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW INTERVIEW,
FROM THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS, ZION WILLIAMSON.
IS ON THE SHOW!
THERE HE IS!
ZION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON THE SHOW.
YOU'RE IN DENVER RIGHT NOW.
YOU WON AGAINST THE CLIPPERS, YOU PLAY THE NUGGETS TOMORROW.
WHAT DO YOU NORMALLY GET UP TO ON A DAY OFF?
WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY OFF FOR YOU?
>> A TYPICAL DAY OFF FOR ME, UM, IS TRAVELING WITH THE TEAM AND
TRYING TO SLEEP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THESE GAMES ARE
COMING SO FAST.
>> James: HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU THINK YOU SLEEP IN THE DAY?
>> I PROBABLY SLEEP ABOUT EIGHT TO NINE, AND IT'S ALWAYS SPREAD
OUT, REALLY SPREAD OUT.
>> James: IN THE DAY, YOU JUST TAKE, LIKE, A TWO-HOUR NAP.
>> ALL THE TIME.
>> James: THAT'S WHY I FEEL I'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES.
I'M NOT EVEN JOKING.
THE MORE I HEAR ABOUT, THE MORE I HEAR ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE
IN THE N.B.A., I FEEL LIKE IT FITS MY SCHEDULE, I DO.
>> I JUST WASN'T BORN HERE, SO I DIDN'T HAVE THE START THAT YOU
HAD.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR BASKETBALL JOURNEY VERY EARLY ON, WHEN YOU
WERE AGE JUST FIVE, YOU WERE PLAYING ON A TEAM WITH
NINE-YEAR-OLDS.
WHAT DID THE NINE-YEAR-OLDS THINK ABOUT A FIVE-YEAR-OLD JUST
COMING ON TO THEIR TEAM AND ARGUABLY I IMAGINE BEING BETTER
THAN THEM?
>> LUCKY ENOUGH FOR ME, I WAS WITH NINE-YEAR-OLDS THAT, YOU
KNOW, THEY WERE REAL COOL ABOUT IT, THEY WERE REAL CHILL.
THEY WERE ALWAYS HELPING ME OUT.
THEY COULD HAVE BEEN MEAN AND SAID YOU'RE NOT GONNA PLAY, BE
UH THEY SHOWED A LOT OF LOVE AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
>> James: WE HAVE A PHOTO OF YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM.
THIS IS YOU IN THE MIDDLE HERE, BUT YOUR COACH IS YOUR MOM.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOM LIKE AS A COACH?
>> SHE IS THE HARDEST COACH I'VE EVER HAD.
I'VE NEVER HAD SOMEONE BE THAT TOUGH ON ME.
>> James: REALLY?
REALLY.
>> James: TOUGH ON THE WHOLE TEAM OR PARTICULARLY TOUGH ON
YOU?
>> TOUGH ON THE TEAM, BUT PARTICULARLY VERY TOUGH ON ME.
>> James: DO YOU STILL GET NOTES FROM YOUR MOM FROM AFAR?
LIKE, DOES SHE STILL TALK ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCES, HOW YOU
PLAYED.
>> FROM AFAR?
NO.
SHE'LL COME TO MY FACE AND TELL ME.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> James: WHAT SORT OF STUFF DOES SHE SAY?
>> BE BETTER.
JUST DO BETTER.
( LAUGHTER ) >> James: IF YOU'RE EVER MID
GAME AND YOU KNOW YOU'VE HAD A PARTICULARLY TOUGH QUARTER OR
MAYBE YOU'VE MISSED A COUPLE OF SHOTS IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND
ARE YOU LIKE, OH, MY MOM'S GOING TO REALLY -- SHE'S GOING TO HAVE
SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
>> ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME.
>> James: SHE WAS OBVIOUSLY A BRILLIANT COACH BUT YOUR MOM WAS
ALSO TRACK AND FIELD, SHE DID THE HIGH JUMP.
WHO JUMPED HIGHER, IS IT YOU NOW OR YOUR MOM IN HER HAY DAY?
>> YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE I LOVE HER SO MUCH, I'M GOING TO SAY MY
MOM IN HER HEY DAY.
>> James: WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ON THE START OF THE SHOW, I FEE
LIKE I'VE GOT EVERYTHING THAT IT TAKES TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
BARBAL PLAYER, AND I THINK YOU CAN FEEL THAT.
MY ISSUE IS, LIKE, GETTING THE HEIGHT ON MY JUMPING, WHICH IS A
BIG PART OF YOUR GAME, OBVIOUSLY COMES DOWN FROM YOUR MOTHER.
MY MOM, YOU KNOW, GENETICALLY, I WAS DONE AT THE START.
IT'S MAZING THE PROGRESS I'VE MADE IN BASKETBALL.
WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE MY JUMP TO GET MORE HEIGHT, ZION?
WHAT TUNING IS MISSING -- WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MISSING?
>> I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD REALLY WORRY ABOUT THAT.
I THINK YOU SHOULD STICK WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK YOU'RE AMAZING AT IT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> James: I MEAN, IT'S
DIFFICULT TO COME BACK FROM THAT, ISN'T IT?
BUT, LIKE, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING AIR, DO YOU KNOW
WHAT I MEAN?
LIKE LET ME SHOW YOU -- YOU LOOK AT MY FORM, YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU
THINK I COULD DO BETTER, ALL RIGHT?
NOW, BEAR IN MIND I'M BRITISH, I GREW UP IN HIGH WYCOMBE, REALLY
MY BASKETBALL CAREER ONLY STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO, OKAY?
SO IF I'M RECEIVING THE BALL HERE, SO, IAN, YOU THROW ME THE
BALL, JUST PUT IT RIGHT IN THOSE BIG HANDS HERE, RIGHT?
BANG!
HERE -- WAIT.
( LAUGHTER ) BE HONEST.
>> UH...
LIKE I SAID, I THINK YOU'RE AMAZING AT WHAT YOU DO.
( APPLAUSE ) >> James: NOW, LET'S TALK
ABOUT YOUR SIGNATURE SNEAKER WHICH IS OUT, THE JORDAN ZION
ONE, IT'S AVAILABLE IN FOUR DIFFERENT COLORS.
WE'VE GOT ONE HERE.
THIS IS CALLED THE NOAH AFTER YOUR LITTLE BROTHER.
TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW THIS DESIGN CAME TOGETHER.
>> THE DESIGN CAME TOGETHER BECAUSE, WHEN I LEFT FOR
COLLEGE, I WAS LOOKING FOR A SHOE COMPANY TO SIGN WITH, AND I
VISITED THE NIKE JORDAN CAMPUS, AND THEY GAVE HI LITTLE BROTHER
LOW TOP JORDAN ONE AND IT WAS ALL WHITE AND THEY SAID, HERE,
NOAH, CREATE YOUR OWN SHOE AND THEY GAVE HIM A BUNCH OF
CRAYONS.
HE'S FIVE SO I DON'TKNOW WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD GET OUT
OF HIM.
WITH EVERY COLOR, HE DREW SCRIBBLES ON IT, AND A COUPLE OF
MONTHS LATER, THEY CAME AND SHOWED ME A SHOE WITH A BUNCH OF
COLORFUL SCRIBABLES ON IT.
I SAID, OH, MAN, THAT'S DOPE.
>> James: HOW EXCITED IS NOAH TO HAVE A SNEAKER NAMED AFTER
HIM?
DOES HE PLAY BALL?
HE MUST BE OVER THE MOON.
I BET HE CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK ANY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD WOULD BE SUPER
HYPE ABOUT IT, BUT NOAH'S MIND, HE'S, LIKE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO
HAPPEN, I'M SUPPOSED TO HAVE MY OWN SHOE.
>> James: OH, I LOVE THAT!
THIS OTHER SHOE, THIS I THINK IS MY FAVORITE TO HAVE THE FOUR
COLORS.
THIS IS THE TRIBUTE TO YOUR MOM.
WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THIS?
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS.
>> THE STORY BEHIND THAT ONE, FROM THE PICTURE YOU SHOWED ME
WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, ME AND THE GROUP OF GUYS WERE
REALLY CLOSE, WE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WHEN
WE GOT OLDER AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAID I WANTED TO GO TO
THE N.B.A. AND PLAY BASKETBALL, AND THEY SUPPORTED ME AND MY MOM
WAS THERE, TOUGHEST COACH I EVER HAD.
BUT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS AROUND US WAS FROM -- I'M GOING
TO BE HONEST, IT WAS A TOUGH ENVIRONMENT TO TRY TO MAKE IT
OUT OF.
SO THAT'S WHY THE PINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SHOE REPRESENTS
THE LOTUS FLOWER, JUST DRAWING AND BLOSSOMING.
>> James: BE HONEST, ZION, RIGHT, YOU VERY KINDLY SENT
THESE TO ME IN MY SIZE, RIGHT.
NOW, I KNOW YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T FEDEX THEM YOURSELF, BUT IN MY
MIND YOU DID, OKAY?
( LAUGHTER ) BE HONEST -- CAN I WEAR THESE?
>> YES, YOU CAN WEAR THEM.
I THINK YOU'D LIKE GOOD IN THEM.
>> James: HONESTLY?
HONESTLY.
>> James: OKAY, I'M WEARING THEM TOMORROW.
THESE ARE JORDANS.
MICHAEL JORDAN HAS SPOKEN VERY FAVORABLY ABOUT YOU AS A PLAYER
ANYTIME HE'S BEEN ASKED ABOUT YOU.
IT MUST BE INSANE TO HERE.
WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU MET JORDAN?
WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT?
>> WE WEREN'T ABLE TO TALK MUCH BECAUSE IT WAS AT ONE OF HIS
JORDAN BRAND PARTIES AND THERE WAS LIKE A HUNDRED, TWO HUNDRED
PEOPLE JUST FLOATING AROUND HIM.
> James: YEAH.
BUT, MAN, SEEING HIM WAS, LIKE, SEEING, LIKE, A BLACK
JESUS.
IT WAS CRAZY, LIKE, BEING IN THE SAME ROOM AS HIM THAT, YOU KNOW,
HE JUST TOLD ME JUST KEEP WORKING AND BE MYSELF AND THAT'S
GOING TO TAKE YOU A LONG WAY.
BUT IN MY MIND, I'M LOOKING AT MY MOM, I JUST MET MIKE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> James: IT MUST BE
INCREDIBLE TO HEAR THE WAY HE TALKS ABOUT YOU AS A PLAYER, AND
RIGHTLY SO.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING THIS SEASON, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IN
THE FUTURE IS ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE JORDAN ZION ONE IS AVAILABLE THURSDAY
WITH NEW COLOR WAVES COMING NEXT MONTH.
STICK AROUND.
ZION'S GOING TO BE HERE WHEN WE COME BACK.