Tennessee basketball's Zakai Zeigler takes turn as boat captain for 21st birthday on Italy's Lake Como
COMO, Italy — Zakai Zeigler wanted a simple pleasure. He got it in the form of a boat horn.
The Tennessee basketball guard captained a tour boat on Lake Como on Wednesday for maybe a minute — a most memorable minute at that on his 21st birthday.
Zeigler celebrated well on UT’s foreign trip in Italy. He got into the captain’s spot, spun the wheel to the left and gave a salute before searching for the horn. He found it and hit it before surrendering the spot back to its rightful owner.
The Vols took a boat ride from Como to Bellagio on their first full day in Italy. Zeigler took his stint in command on the way to Bellagio, a stunning town on the peninsula that juts into the middle of the upside-down, Y-shaped lake.
Zeigler, one of the most beloved athletes at Tennessee, was surprised on the way back. The Vols and the travel party gathered on the top deck and sang happy birthday. He was presented with fruit and a dessert on a plate adorned with birthday wishes in chocolate. A sparkler on top completed the scene as Zeigler again was serenaded by his teammates.
He walked around the deck and sought to share some of the fruit. Vols assistant coach Gregg Polinsky received a piece to Zeigler’s delight.
The entire scene stood as a vivid picture of the love and respect Zeigler possesses from his teammates. The junior guard is the heartbeat of the Vols. It’s why there was such heartbreak when he tore his ACL in the penultimate regular-season game last season. It’s why there’s ascending anticipation for the 5-foot-9 guard to return this fall.
It also stood as a reminder of how much life has changed for Zeigler in two years.
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He arrived at Tennessee in the fall of 2021 with two suitcases after a whirlwind summer from barely recruited prospect to SEC point guard. He took a train for four hours daily as a high-school sophomore chasing basketball ambitions. He and his family — notably, his mother, Charmane — have battled through seemingly endless adversity from losing their home to choosing between paying bills or paying tuition. They live in Knoxville now following a mid-2022 move months after a fire destroyed the family’s New York City apartment. A GoFundMe raised more than $350,000 in support of the Zeiglers, a screaming statement of Zeigler’s rapidly gained adoration.
He’s a terror on the court for the Vols, a dynamic guard on both ends. He’s an obvious NIL era darling able to provide. He’s also the same person he was when he got to UT, cracking jokes with ease, moving around rooms with moxie and smiling constantly.
The childhood levity of a boat horn reminded of that in Italy.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball: Zakai Zeigler celebrates 21st birthday in Italy
