Week 11 Story: Come For The Crown

Zion Williamson: Source

Note:This story is in my portfolio here 

Every Reign Comes to an End

   As Lebron "King" James stated in the commercial for the upcoming 2k19 Sports basketball game:

   "I know you're coming. I can hear your footsteps."

    Lebron James sat in his Los Angelos mansion reflecting on those words while watching the 2020 NBA draft. Lebron was a specimen and a once in a generation athlete in basketball. It was a rarity to see a player with his athleticism, skill, and intelligence play the game in a way that was seemingly an art form. Lebron was undoubtedly the best player in the game and was often referred to as "King James" by the community; however, every reign must come to an end.

    Lebron has held the crown for a very long reign, but it appeared that old age was slowly taking its toll on him. The stage was set for a new king to take the floor and the crown. Upon watching the draft, Lebron and the rest of the world took notice of a young player named Zion Williamson. This player dominated college basketball and was drafted first overall in the NBA draft.

    Zion was bigger and stronger than any other player in the league. It was as if he were made of stone and the other players were made of glass. Zion stepped onto the court for the first time in 2021 and it already appeared that players were in fear of being posterized by him. The fear was widespread, so much that even the veterans couldn't help but cower to his powerful nature. The players of all teams feared the daggering stare that Zion gave after dunking.
 
    Despite this, the warriors still had a dominant team in the NBA and had won 5 consecutive titles. As the 2021 season went on, Zion continued to put up record numbers in every game he played. Zion had taken the spotlight as Lebron had slowly continued to appear to diminish in ability. The players and fans needed a new leader. They needed a great one to show that he was clearly the best.

    Zion clearly was the player that everyone was waiting for. Zion and his general manager began to build the team around him. They made blockbuster trades and appointed his starting crew in hopes to finally take down the Golden State Warriors. Zion chose the players roles as he felt best, acting as the new king of the league.

    This went on for some time throughout the season. It was as if Lebron had fallen off the face of the earth and Zion took his place on the throne. Zion and his appointees began to dominate the league in a fashion that was once thought to be inconceivable. As playoffs approached in the 2021 season, Zion had proven that he truly was the MVP of the league; however, he had to win a title to be considered one of the greats to ever play the game.



Authors Note: The original story is The Ape Sun Wu Kung which is from the Monkey King unit. In this story, a great stone ape was hatched from a stone egg. This ape was so powerful that even the gods feared his beaming eyes. He grew slowly and quickly became very strong and big. The apes were in need of a king and stated that whoever could pass through a great waterfall would be their king. The stone ape passed through and became the king. Subsequently, he appointed his other apes and it went very well for about a hundred years. I wanted to create a modern story with a similar plot as this one. I felt that none would be better than NBA's Lebron James and the up and coming Zion Williamson to be the main characters. I changed the majority of the story, but made the central theme of people needing a new king. I attached a link to a youtube video at the bottom for anyone who wants to see who I am referring to.




This story is part of the The Monkey King unit. Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).