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New Orleans –   A surprise in the mail for New Orleans basketball fans.

Pelicans star Zion Williamson is on the cover of this week’s TIME magazine, looking cool, composed, fearless– and uninjured.

TIME chose Williamson to be one of the “next 100  most influential people” under the category “phenoms.”   Former LSU and NBA star Shaquille O’Neal tells readers why Williamson will be great– when he recovers from knee surgery and gets back on the court.

O’Neal says he’s most impressed by the fact that Williamson could hae gone to the NBA without playing to the end for Duke University.

“Blocking all of the chatter out, Zion decided to return to action,” says O’Neal, and “his decision to come back.. (was) everything I needed to know about the kid.”

More in the clip above from WGNO News.