"Two of my childhood favorites — Michael Jordan and then Naruto" - Zion Williamson opens up on the upcoming Air Jordan x Naruto collection

Zion Williamson grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and Naruto. Now, the New Orleans Pelicans star is excited about the collaboration between the Air Jordan and Naruto.

As announced by Air Jordan, they will create shoes featuring Japanese manga-turned Anime Naruto. Fans were awaiting updates about the Jordan Zion 2, but Williamson teased the collaboration on his social media accounts. Zion was very proud to have a hand in Air Jordan's new line.

"Two of my childhood favorites — Michael Jordan and then Naruto. Both were able to collaborate and bring my vision to life. You can't make this stuff up. You have no idea how much this means to me," Williamson said.

Air Jordan is one of the most popular shoe brands in the world, while "Naruto" was a manga created by Masashi Kishimoto. It's one of the best selling manga's in history and the anime was very popular as well. The series ended in 2014, but an anime sequel called "Boruto" was released in 2017.

Zion Williamson is a huge fan of both brands, so it's pretty special to have them collaborate on his behalf. Williamson also recently shared a personal drawing made by Kishimoto for him. It's an image of Zion drawn as a "Naruto" character, complete with a personalized forehead protector and Naruto-inspired jacket.

"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," Williamson tweeted.

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What's the update on Zion Williamson's injury?

Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Zion Williamson has not played a single game for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. Williamson underwent surgery on his right foot in the offseason and has been recovering ever since. He's suffered several setbacks, but it seems like he's getting healthier.

According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, the Pelicans and Williamson's camp are at odds about his recovery. The Pelicans want to be cautious since Zion has only played a total of 85 games in his NBA career since he was drafted first overall in 2019. Meanwhile, Williamson has been showing off by posting videos of him dunking during practice and warmups.

In an interview with ESPN earlier this month, Zion Williamson's stepfather Lee Anderson said that he expects his stepson to play for the Pelicans this season. Anderson added that Zion feels like he can play, while the team seems to be reluctant in letting him.

"If you were to ask Zion, I'm sure he would probably say the same thing. But with just a couple of games left, with the magnitude of what's going on in New Orleans and the opportunity to qualify for the play-in game and possibly get into a seven-game series, that would be off the charts in the city of New Orleans," Anderson said.