Zion Williamson: 80% of NBA athletes are fans of anime, but they don’t admit it

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Electronic entertainment and anime culture have something in common: they started out as a niche hobby. Nowadays, however, video games are already part of popular culture and anime is far from being niche, but there is still a certain stigma that seems to prevent some athletes from confessing that they are fans of this type of animation.

Zion Williamson is not only one of the best players in the NBA, but also one of the biggest fans and connoisseurs of Naruto, something that is extraordinary and even more so if we consider that it comes from a basketball player.

People might think that athletes or sportsmen cannot show a passion for a hobby or, in this case, an enthusiasm similar to that they have for their sport. However, they are very wrong.

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Or at least that’s what Williamson reveals, who in an interview with G.Q. He commented that he estimates that 80% of NBA players are into anime, he just doesn’t admit it publicly.

Williamson did not delve into it, but he shows that then he is not the only one who has anime as a hobby, but other players would have a hard time recognizing it. The above is not strange, because, although the generation gap tends to disappear, the truth is that there are still people who consider anime or manga as something childish, and some would not be comfortable with revealing this hobby as much as they like it.

However, you should know that there are more and more sportsmen or athletes who confess to being fans of video games, anime, manga or more franchises of popular culture. At LEVEL UP we have informed you of several cases, such as that of a volleyball player who even made hand gestures simulating a jutsu before making a powerful serve.

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Who is Zion Williamson, the biggest sports fan of Naruto?

In case you don’t know Williamson, you should know that he is one of the best basketball players in the world and he has not missed the opportunities he has had to confess his passion for Narutoanime of which he has been a fan since he was 5 years old.

In fact, he is arguably the most knowledgeable athlete in the franchise. He even just did a collaboration with VIZ Media and the Jordan tennis brand to launch a themed collection of Narutowhich he promoted at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, and which he also enjoyed as a fan.

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If you are interested in the history of this basketball player, we invite you to check the article of G.Q.because in it he mentions how he has taken Naruto as an inspiration in his career, which recently went through a very bad time after injuring his foot, which left him out of the 2021-2022 season.

“Naruto has always been there and always will be,” commented the athlete, remembering how Naruto has motivated him in the different stages of his life.

Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Narutoeven illustrated the manga-style athlete as if he were a ninja.

Honored to share a one-of-a-kind drawing by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto. My interest in anime began at a young age and still inspires me today. Naruto’s motto was to always believe in yourself and everything will work out. #BelieveIt pic.twitter.com/TLzyMDmwjS

— Zion Williamson (@Zionwilliamson) April 26, 2022

What do you think of Williamson’s words? Tell us in the comments.

You can find more news related to Naruto if you visit this page.

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