LAS VEGAS _ While the debut of Zion Williamson was expected to shake up the NBA, he wasn't even on the floor when it actually began to shake at Thomas and Mack Center.
Williamson was sidelined with knee soreness in the second half and with 7:53 remaining in the game an earthquake struck, sending the scoreboard swinging above the court and swaying the stands as the crowd rushed for the exits. The teams were escorted off the court for a delay as the public address announcer implored the crowd to remain calm and that their seats were the safest place to be _ a message that seemed to fall on deaf ears.
It was a summer league game, but even before the earthquake it seemed like something far more. You could just keep telling yourself that as you wonder why the crowd _ a capacity crowd _ was on its feet, cheering wildly at every pregame dunk, recording every moment of the warmups. NBA stars sauntered out of the steamy heat outside and into courtside seats.
The Knicks may not find themselves in a lot of meaningful games this season, but this time, with Williamson making his NBA Summer League debut and doing it against his college teammate, friend and the No. 3 pick in the draft, RJ Barrett, just added to the allure.
Although unofficially a Knick still with free-agent deals not allowed to completed until Saturday afternoon, Julius Randle was on hand. LeBron James was a spectator, joined by his still unofficial teammate, Anthony Davis. Lonzo and LaMelo Ball were in the house, along with DeMar DeRozen. Floyd Mayweather arrived with an entourage as large as most NBA rosters.
And if the players were rookies making their first tentative steps into the league, the show quickly lived up to the hype. While tentative likely won't be used to describe Williamson often, he began slowly on this night and then began to take over. He dunked twice in a row, then swatted a Kadeem Allen layup that was called goaltending.
And then just over seven minutes into the game after a missed shot by the Pelicans, Kevin Knox grabbed a strong rebound, soaring above the crowd. Knox, who points to his time in the weight room as his biggest improvement heading into his sophomore season, had a firm two-handed grip on the ball. And Zion reached in, grabbed the ball, yanked it _ and Knox went tumbling to the floor _ and turned and dunked it.
The show ended before the game did as Williamson took a knee-to-knee hit late in the first half and left with soreness in his left knee. He did not return, which predictably coincided with some of the star power in the crowd also deciding it was time to get an early start for dinner.
Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick, a selection that there wasn't a hint of doubt about as the draft approached. And for Barrett, there was little doubt where he would land once the lottery set the draft order. He wanted to be in New York and worked out only for the Knicks, refusing a workout with the Memphis Grizzlies, who had the No. 2 pick and were set on Ja Morant.
The two friends have taken to their new homes and the NBA Summer League schedule maker provided this stage for the first meeting _ a packed arena, the 17,500 seats sold out with tickets reportedly going for as much as $400 on the secondary market and the game televised as the showcase of ESPN's opening night coverage in primetime.
While it might not have been an NBA roster, Barrett has spent the last five years playing on teams that were stocked with talent that could overshadow almost anyone. At Montverde Academy he said there were six players who are now either in or bound for the NBA and his one year at Duke included not only Williamson, but Cam Reddish, who was selected No. 10 overall by the Hawks.
"I just feel like we are on TV every game," Barrett said last month. "Everybody was watching us. Everybody knew who we were. Just playing at Duke itself, I'm just ready for everything. I love the biggest stage and I love the challenge."
There was not just a big stage, but the front row of the arena included Knicks coach David Fizdale sitting with Garden chairman James Dolan, team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry.
As the trio of Duke stars jockeyed for draft positioning Barrett insisted there was no jealousy among the trio, no fighting over roles.
"It was the best year of my life basketball wise," he said. "To play with him and with Cam those guys are such great guys. They're better people than they are basketball players. We just had a great relationship.
"When my brother is doing great, why am I going to be jealous? Why am I going to be mad? There was no need. Everybody is trying to sit here like I wasn't killing. We both did well. I'm just happy the team was winning."
While they remain friends, they now are on opposite sides as competitors _ for this night and in the long run for the rookie of the year award.
"I'm not going to say that I don't want it," Barrett said. "I'm definitely going for rookie of the year for sure, it's going to be a battle. But I'm confident enough that I can get it."
