Zion: Mom is 'hardest coach I've ever had'

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson says no coach has been tougher on him than his own mother, Sharonda Sampson.

Williamson was coached by his mom when he was in middle school, and he explained Tuesday on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" just how difficult it was to play for her.

"She's the hardest coach I've ever had," he said. "I've never had someone be that tough on me."

Williamson also discussed his first signature Jordan Brand shoe, the Zion 1, which includes a colorway dedicated to his mom and his roots.

"The story behind that one is, from the picture you showed me when I was in middle school, me and those group of guys, we were really close. We always talked about what we wanted to do when we got older and I always said I wanted to go to the NBA and play basketball," Williamson said. "They supported me and my mom was there - toughest coach I ever had. But the environment that was around us was, if I'm being honest, it was a tough environment to try to make it out of."