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Science reveals the terrifying reality of 18yo basketball freak

Yahoo Sport Australia

There’s a reason college basketball star Zion Williamson hasn’t been called for a charging foul this season.

Attempting to get in front of the 6-foot-7, 130 kilogram freshman from Duke would be like stepping out into traffic.

No, not metaphorically stepping into traffic. Literally stepping out into traffic.

The Wall Street Journal published a study from University of Lynchburg physicist Eric Goff this week, who studied clips of players taking a charge on Williamson.

Zion Williamson is a scary man. Pic: Getty
Zion Williamson is a scary man. Pic: Getty

Goff determined that the maximum force of impact during a Williamson charge is close to 300 pounds — which is similar to a being hit by a Jeep moving 10 miles per hour.

Yes, really.

From The Wall Street Journal:

At the request of The Wall Street Journal, University of Lynchburg physicist Eric Goff reviewed grainy clips of Williamson charges to solve Gaminde’s mystery and quantify the basketball equivalent of getting hit by a bus. He calculated the maximum force of impact during one Williamson charge to be 300 pounds—the equivalent of the average force during a similar, head-on collision with a Jeep traveling 10 miles per hour.

“Some of the same physics ideas that are used to study car crashes and analyze fundamental particles slamming into each other at nearly the speed of light may be used to study collisions between basketball players,” Goff said.

Taking a charge from Duke star Zion Williamson would be like stepping out into traffic and being hit by a Jeep. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Taking a charge from Duke star Zion Williamson would be like stepping out into traffic and being hit by a Jeep. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

While nobody has tried at the collegiate level, some have tried to draw a charging foul on Williamson when he was in high school. And while this call below is questionable for sure, just look at the sheer force Williamson hits the kid with.

If watching him play so far this season wasn’t enough, this Wall Street Journal study should do it for you: Stay out of Williamson’s way.

Indiana guard Rob Phinisee did — and he should have no regrets.

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