Zion Williamson is an up-and-coming star in the NBA. He had injuries and did not play in the last season. There are several critics and analysts blaming his lifestyle and conditioning. The barrage of negative criticism could deter anyone. However, he still believes in himself thanks to the inspiration he draws from an anime called Naruto.
Anime is a form of Japanese television animation. It has grown to become increasingly popular in the modern world. Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, One Punch Man, and Death Note are some of the many anime known worldwide. Zion revealed that more than half the NBA, 80%, looks to anime for inspiration.
Zion Williamson compares his career to Naruto
“For a while nobody took Naruto seriously. And then he went and trained with [master shinobi] Jiraiya for three years, right? And he came back at 16 years old, goated.” https://t.co/CvD01VEVx1
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) August 15, 2022
One must wonder how much truth there is to these claims. After all, Zion may be exaggerating out of his own love for it. Thus, we must look closer at the truth.
Zion Williamson says NBA players watch anime but will not admit it
There are several stereotypes in this world that people don’t want to be associated with themselves. This is the reality of life and why people wear masks, especially when out in public. Anime has been stereotyped to be something like “Children’s cartoons” and only for”Geeks“.
We must ask ourselves how much we criticize people for watching TV shows about flying warriors who can shoot beams and perhaps even teleport. Initially, this might seem childish. However, compared to a Hollywood movie about a girl having a love triangle with a vampire and werewolf, it is not all that ridiculous.
Steven Adams spent NBA opening night watching Japanese anime instead of basketball. pic.twitter.com/QK03ae3Lml
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) October 26, 2016
That is the hypocrisy Zion claims prevents NBA players from revealing that they watch anime. Nonetheless, some players such as Steven Adams and Joel Embiid have spoken about it to some extent. At the end of the day, it is quite difficult to know if Williamson is speaking the truth. But it is likely that he believes it to be true.
Just a massage and some anime to get hype for Game 1. 😂
Never change, @JoelEmbiid. pic.twitter.com/LMhav2Qy62
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 30, 2018
This is because of the vast landscape in the field of anime. Even Pokemon and Beyblade are anime and have had an incredible impact in the United States as well. Thus if Zion’s definition of anime includes all of these, 80% or at least half is not a big claim to make.