THE LINE WAS wrapped around the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. It was July 5, 2019, and the debut of Zion Williamson was here.

After waiting through the first three games, fans were eager to see the main event: Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the New York Knicks and his former Duke teammate, RJ Barrett.

It didn’t take long for Williamson to show off exactly why people were so excited about his NBA potential.

With a little less than five minutes left in the first quarter, Pelicans guard Trevon Bluiett missed a floater in the lane. Knicks center Mitchell Robinson popped the ball into the air and into the waiting arms of teammate Kevin Knox. Bluiett flashed in front of Knox, forcing him to bring the ball backward as he was trying to protect it.

The only problem for Knox, however, was that Williamson was still there. As he saw the ball in Knox’s arms, Williamson took his opportunity.

Williamson grabbed the ball away from Knox, who fell to the ground looking for a call that never came. Robinson turned back around but realized any block attempt was a futile one.

Williamson took one dribble, launched off two feet and slammed it home. He flexed with one arm as he backed away from the goal, much to the delight of the thousands in attendance.

Williamson played less than three minutes in the second quarter, and nine minutes total. The team announced at halftime that he had suffered a bruised left knee and would sit out for the remainder of summer league.

Before Williamson’s teammates could close out their 80-74 lead, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake suspended play in the fourth quarter. The game never resumed.

In what has become a microcosm of Williamson’s career, his stint on the court was short-lived.

The Summer of Zion was shut down before it began. Now, nearly three years later, he has played just 85 games in three seasons, dealing with a series of injuries that each came with their own series of vague updates from the…