AD , Jrue, Frank and Stanley working out together [emoji102]

[RobertM320]

Shaq actually played three years at LSU, but I didn't realize, he actually started his freshman year at 17. His birthday is March 6,1972 and his FR season was 1989-90. So he was 20 when he started in the NBA. For reference Luka was 19, Blake and Hakeem were 21, Mourning was 22 1/2, and Bird was almost 23.

[Pelicanidae]

Shaq actually played three years at LSU, but I didn't realize, he actually started his freshman year at 17. His birthday is March 6,1972 and his FR season was 1989-90. So he was 20 when he started in the NBA. For reference Luka was 19, Blake and Hakeem were 21, Mourning was 22 1/2, and Bird was almost 23.

Oh yeah, you're right. I was just checking so that I could answer your question and saw he was 20 in his rookie year and didn't even realise that didn't quite fit the 18 college age thing.

Luka was 19 by the time he played his first NBA game. Zion will also be 19 by the time he plays his first NBA game.

I know that Blake, Hakeem, Bird, and Mourning were a fair bit older, which is why I didn't bring them up as examples of players who were barely older than Zion will be.

My point isn't, just to reiterate, that Zion has just as much experience as Shaq or whatever and will therefore put up 24/14 in his rookie season like Shaq. Cause I don't think that will happen. My point is only that sufficiently talented players have had brilliant rookie seasons before, and that some of those players haven't been much older (Shaq) than Zion will be when he plays his first game, and some others (Luka, Lebron) were the same age or younger than Zion will be. Therefore you gotta judge Zion just on skillset rather than age, and I think he has the skillset to have a really good rookie year.