I'm in Tears Watching the NBA's No. 1 Draft Pick Thank His Mom For All Her Sacrifices

Updated on June 25, 2019 at 1:55 PM

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: NBA Prospect Zion Williamson is introduced before the start of the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by

Zion Williamson is experiencing a major moment in the spotlight as the NBA's number one draft pick, but he says all credit is really due to his mom, Sharonda. The New Orleans Pelicans claimed the 18-year-old former Duke University athlete on Thursday night, and in follow-up interviews Zion expressed endless gratitude for the efforts Sharonda made to get him there.

"My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn't be here without my mom," he told ESPN, tearing up. "She did everything for me. I just want to thank her."

Sharonda not only coached Zion until he was 14, she "put her dreams aside" for his own, according to Zion. "Whenever [he and his brothers] had a tournament, she would support us." he said in an NBA interview. "She'd try to be at every game. Doing all that while being the hardest coach I ever had."

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I'm in Tears Watching the NBA's No. 1 Draft Pick Thank His Mom For All Her Sacrifices

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