Zion Williamson always planned to play for Duke again despite his knee injury last month.
The freshman star sprained his knee in the opening minute of a crunch clash with North Carolina on February 20 and has not played since.
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Many suggested Williamson, projected to be selected first in the 2019 NBA Draft, should have ended his collegiate career and focused on preparing for life as a professional.
But as he prepares to make his return against Syracuse in the quarter-finals of the ACC Tournament on Thursday, Williamson says that was not an option for him.
"For the people that think I should stop playing in college and just focus on the NBA: thanks, but no thanks," he told NCAA.com.
“For the people that think I should just stop playing in college: thanks, but no thanks.”
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 14, 2019
Zion Williamson is back tonight for @DukeMBB! pic.twitter.com/cPut3RcMvq
"I'm not really worried about that. I'm just trying to be Zion and play the game I love. I love playing basketball. I'm going to go out there and do my best and try to work the hardest."
He added: "Playing for [Duke] has made me a better player because I'm just surrounded by great players.
"I'm enjoying my college experience and I'm just trying to go for that national championship. That's the end goal in college. You'll never be forgotten if you win a national championship."
