Cowboys Icon Michael Irvin Has Advice for Zion Williamson 'To Take Over The NBA'

Dallas Cowboys Legend Michael Irvin Got a Close-Up View Of NBA Rookie Zion Williamsson. And Along With Loving him, Michael Has Some Advice

DALLAS - Luka Doncic draws a crowd. Zion Williamson draws a crowd, too. And together? Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center was the place to see ... and to be seen.

From Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes to soccer megastar Eden Hazard, and two Dallas Cowboys legends in Dez Bryant and Michael Irvin, the buzz in the arena was on the level of a Hollywood-led Lakers game night at the Staples Center.

Our old pal Michael Irvin, of course, knows something about glitz. But he also knows what it takes to become a champion, something he accomplished over the course of three 1990 Super Bowl victories.

Irvin watched a tight overtime affair in which Dallas finally survived the New Orleans Pelicans, 127-123. ... and one of the fascinating weapons survived was the bullish rookie Zion.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle called Zion "breath-taking.'' Dez Bryant watched him and called him "an animal.'' Luka is a fan of Zion, too, though he got the best of him here, Doncic having cashed in a franchise record-setting 22nd career triple-double and one of the best statistical games of his career, pouring in 30 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and handing out 10 assists in 41 minutes. (He got help from Kristaps Porzingis, by the way, who scored 34 points while also adding 12 rebounds and five blocked shots - a record night of its own, in a Shaq-related sense.)

As for Williamson, the rookie netted his 13th-straight game with more than 20 points scored, finishing with 21 points and six rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting. 

But to be better? Michael Irvin offers some polite advice.

"He's phenomenal,'' said the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer. "But for Zion to get where he's going to go, he needs to drop 20 pounds. Then take over the league.''


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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks since 1990. He has for more than 20 years served as the overseer of DallasBasketball.com, the granddaddy of Mavs news websites.