It turns out Zion Williamson’s professional sports doppelgänger just happens to be one of the toughest human beings on the planet.
UFC heavyweight title contender Francis Ngannou and Williamson, who was selected first-overall by the New Orleans Pelicans at Thursday’s 2019 NBA Draft, share a striking resemblance, so Ngannou decided to pen a funny letter and film a message to the Duke superstar 14 years his junior.
“Dear Zion, at first I didn’t understand,” Ngannou begins. “People keep calling me by your name. I was very confused. So I Googled you. That’s when I realized we look alike. I think we might be long-lost brothers.
“Last week, I did one of those 23andMe ancestry tests. I will tell you when the result comes in. Ever since I made the discovery, I have been wearing your Duke jersey, maybe four or five, sometimes six, days a week. When people ask me for my autograph, I always sign your name instead, my brother. Now that you know about me, maybe we can sign each other’s autographs.”
Instagram post by Francis Ngannou * Jun 21, 2019 at 1:17am UTC
16.8k Likes, 482 Comments – Francis Ngannou (@francisngannou) on Instagram
Unlike the Fake Kawhi Leonard we saw signing autographs at the Toronto Raptors championship parade, Ngannou is actually of similar size to his NBA lookalike.
Williamson is six-foot-seven and around 285 pounds, while Ngannou is only six-foot-four and around 260 pounds.
“I cannot wait to hoop with you. I have been practising a bit and it’s obvious we have the same basketball skills,” Ngannou added in his Cameroonian-French accent while footage of him throwing up a brick on an outdoor court played in the background. “Happy to give you fighting lessons too in case you fight with Draymond Green. I will come to New Orleans to support. If you need to take a game off, I can fill in for you. Nobody will ever know. Looking forward to meeting. Sincerely, your long-lost brother.”
The next time we see Ngannou will be later this month when he faces former champion Junior dos Santos in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Minnesota.
The next time we see Zion it’ll be his first time on an NBA court.
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