Zion Williamson reunites with highschool opponent Bryson Bishop

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — “Hey, you are the man who guarded Zion, proper?”

Bryson Bishop has heard {that a} time or two since a video went viral of him in eighth grade guarding the highschool model of New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson.

Williamson, then a 6-foot-6 junior, appeared down in amazement at Bishop, then a 5-foot-6 eighth grader, who was clapping it up as he took his project to protect Williamson.

The 2 received collectively once more on Friday night time in Birmingham, Alabama because the Pelicans and Williamson had been on the town for a preseason recreation in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks. Bishop, now a freshman on the Birmingham-Southern Panthers males’s basketball workforce, recreated the viral second with Williamson within the hallway close to the locker room in Legacy Area.

Williamson and Bishop caught up for roughly 10 minutes previous to Friday’s recreation the place Bishop introduced Williamson with a No. 1 jersey from Birmingham-Southern.

“I have been trying ahead to this via the final week and we received right here and it is actually the best second in my life most likely,” Bishop informed ESPN on Friday night time.

All love @Zionwilliamson 🤝 @B_P_B_2 pic.twitter.com/IAUYl371my

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 14, 2022

Bishop stated he was somewhat nervous about Friday’s assembly, however Williamson’s demeanor instantly put him relaxed.

“I feel the best factor was he picked up like we’ve got identified one another eternally, in order that was fairly cool,” Bishop stated.

Bishop stated he briefly thought-about transferring to Spartanburg Day College the place Williamson was after that season, so the 2 talked then. However Friday night time was the primary time they’ve spoken since.

“I feel coming from the identical hometown and realizing the identical folks, that brings you collectively,” Bishop stated of his dialog with Williamson. “He is all the time been someone who’s all the way down to earth and talks to folks, particularly folks he is aware of. So a second like that, I feel it simply speaks to who he actually is.”