Thanks to Zion, I Know I Can Fly
Yes, the rookie phenom is able to hurdle any obstacle others put in his way
I grew up in Brooklyn in the ’90s when the biggest star was a fat, Black Jamaican. Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace got all the girls by flaunting his ugly cool. He was smooth and wore thousand-dollar sweaters, so that made his claim more convincing. It must be, because his debut album, Ready to Die, said so. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to grow up then as I do now.
It took me almost my entire lifetime to accept myself and my body. I’m still not there. But when I watch basketball, I forget about body image and all the negative messages about fat Blackness. Last week I watched Zion Williamson’s debut in the name of celebrating virtuosic ability and physique. He is 6 foot, 7 inches of raw, undefinable power. Zion blasts up off the floor on rocket heels and assaults the hoop with the ball. He also nimbly maneuvers around men much bigger and much smaller, toe-tapping his way through hardwood and embarrassing frail opponents.
Zion nimbly maneuvers around men much bigger and much smaller, toe-tapping his way through hardwood and embarrassing frail opponents.
