DURHAM, N.C. — UNC-Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium is typically a showcase for everything that's great about sports, but 34 seconds into the game Wednesday, millions of people watched the inverse of that story. With luminaries like President Barack Obama and Spike Lee in attendance, Zion Williamson crumbled to the floor in pain. When he left the court his absence overshadowed the game itself, and for a few hours, a nightmare scenario for Duke basketball became the biggest story in sports. As teammate Cam Reddish said afterward, "It was a freak accident."
First, what happened: Williamson slipped near the foul line of Duke's basket, his Nike shoe exploded from the force of his leg's wayward momentum, and a second later he was on the ground, grabbing at his knee.