Duke Basketball: Dispute Involving Zion Williamson's Blown-Out Shoe

There's a delay in the auction for the infamous sneakers Duke basketball's Zion Williamson wore when he injured his knee against UNC.

Duke basketball forward Zion Williamson vs. UNC | Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

It's unknown who consigned the Nike shoes that legendary Duke basketball showman Zion Williamson sported in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 20, 2019, when he injured his knee after blowing through his left sneaker 30 seconds into a rivalry showdown against UNC that had President Barack Obama sitting courtside. But the auction was initially on tap to begin on Friday and continue through June 8.

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Friday came and went, though, without auction house Goldin making the pair, authenticated via photo-matching and including the fully intact right shoe, available for bids. And as cllct's Darren Rovell reported, a dispute of some kind is holding up the process:

"Asked why the Nike shoes weren't in the auction, Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin told cllct there was a dispute that needed to be rectified, but he had confidence the shoes would be auctioned in the future. Goldin would not say who consigned the sneakers, but a source told cllct the shoes were at least once owned by Zion's stepfather, Lee Anderson."

cllct's Darren Rovell

Perhaps there's concern that this might not be the ideal moment to fuel the highest possible bid.

After all, yet another injury, this time of the hamstring variety, sidelined Williamson for the recently swept New Orleans Pelicans' first round exit at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Even so, while it's fair to claim injuries have prevented Williamson from fully fulfilling the billing that came with being the No. 1 overall draft pick and one of the most-hyped college athletes this century — signed to a reported $75 million deal with Jordan Brand — it's not as though his pro career has been a bust.

No, at age 23, the former 6-foot-6, 285-pound Duke basketball one-and-done is already a two-time All-Star, albeit with zero playoff outings to his name and roughly 200 absences stemming from injuries across his five years in the league, all with the Pelicans. For his career, including 70 appearances this season, Williamson is averaging 24.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.