Paolo Banchero: Profile, achievements, early career and NBA career

20-year-old, Paolo Banchero is an American basketball player who plays for the Orlando Magic in the NBA (National Basketball Association). Banchero was drafted into the NBA in 2022. Before being drafted into the NBA, Banchero played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Here is the profile and a look into his early and professional career.

Paolo Banchero Biography

Full name: Paolo Napoleon James Banchero

Profession: Basketball player for Orlando Magic

Twitter Handle: @Pp_doesit

Instagram Handle: paolo5

Paolo Banchero Physical Status

Height: 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)

Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg)

Paolo Banchero Personal Life

Date of Birth: 12 November 2002

Nationality: American/Italian

Place of Birth: Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Paolo Banchero Family

Father Name: Mario Banchero

Mother Name: Rhonda Banchero

Paolo Banchero Early Life

At the age of 15 months, Banchero grew to a height of 3 feet (0.9 m). He participated in track and field as a youngster and played basketball and American football. His mother, a professional basketball player, served as an inspiration while he developed his basketball skills at the Rotary Boys and Girls Club of Seattle and EBC Camps, particularly the Ballislife Jr. All-American Camp. Banchero increased in height from 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) in the seventh grade. In both basketball and football, he was named among the top 50 eighth-graders in the country.

Paolo Banchero High School

Banchero attended O’Dea High School in Seattle. The 20-year-old played both Basketball and American Football. He played as the backup quarterback on the state championship team. 

• Freshman: 14.1 Points Per Game (PPG) and 10.2 Rebounds Per Game (RPG)
• Sophomore: 18.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 4.3 Assists Per Game (APG). He led O’Dea to the Class 3A state championship, where he was MVP.
• Junior: 22.6 PPG, 11 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.6 Blocks Per Game (BPG). O’Dea ended up as the Class 3A runners-up. Banchero won the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Junior of the Year honours.

Paolo Banchero College

Banchero scored 22 points in his first game for the university, a 79-71 victory over Kentucky. Banchero received his first Freshman of the Week award from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on November 15. On November 23, 2021, Banchero led the team to a 107-81 victory over the Citadel with 28 points and 8 rebounds. Both ACC Rookie of the Year and first-team All-ACC honours were bestowed upon him. Banchero was chosen to be the Third Team All-American on March 15, 2022. Banchero did well at the 2022 NCAA tournament, including scoring 22 points against Texas Tech. He had a 17.2 point, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game average as a rookie. Banchero sent notice of his intent to enter the 2022 NBA draught on April 20, forfeiting his remaining college eligibility.

Paolo Banchero NBA Career

Paolo Banchero was the first pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA Draft. He became just the second Italian after Andrea Bargnani to be a first-pick by an NBA team. Banchero made his NBA Summer League debut on 7th July against the Houston Rockets. He scored 17 points in that game made four rebounds and provided six assists. The Magic went on to win the game by a 91–77 margin. On his preseason debut, he scored eight points, made two rebounds and provided one assist in a 109-97 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

In his regular-season debut, Banchero wrote his name in the history books. Banchero scored 27 points, made nine rebounds, provided five assists and made two blocks. The Orlando Magic went on to lose the game to the Detroit Pistons. He became the first player since LeBron James to score at least 25 points, make at least five rebounds and provide at least five assists. Banchero joined LeBron in yet another record by becoming only the second teenager to score at least 30 points and make 15 rebounds in a game. He achieved this feat on the 5th of November while scoring 33 points and making 16 rebounds in a losing effort against the Sacramento Kings.

Paolo Banchero Achievements

• NBA Rookie of the Year (2023)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (2023)