 Banchero in 2021 | |
| No. 5 – Orlando Magic | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2002-11-12)November 12, 2002 (age 23) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Italian[1] |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | O'Dea (Seattle, Washington) |
| College | Duke (2021–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022: 1st round,1st overall pick |
| Drafted by | Orlando Magic |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022–present | Orlando Magic |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Paolo Napoleon James Banchero[2] (/ˈpaʊloʊbæŋˈkɛəroʊ/POW-loh bang-KAIR-oh;[3] Italian:Paolo Napoleone Giacomo Banchero[citation needed][ˈpaːolobaŋˈkɛːro]; born November 12, 2002) is an American professionalbasketball player for theOrlando Magic of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theDuke Blue Devils. Banchero was named theRookie of the Year of theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2022. Following his freshman season, he declared for the2022 NBA draft, where he was selected with thefirst overall pick by theOrlando Magic. Banchero was named theNBA Rookie of the Year in 2023.
Born inSeattle, Washington,[2] Banchero reached a height of 3 feet (0.9 m) at 15 months of age.[4] In his childhood, he played basketball andAmerican football and took part intrack.[5] He grew up playing basketball at Rotary Boys and Girls Club ofSeattle, as well as EBC Camps most notably the "Ballislife Jr. All-American Camp", drawing inspiration from his mother, who played professionally. In seventh grade, Banchero grew from 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m).[6] He was ranked among the top 50 eighth-graders nationally in both basketball and football.[7]
In his first year atO'Dea High School in Seattle, Banchero played football, as the backupquarterback on the state championship team, as well as basketball.[8] As a freshman on the basketball team, he averaged 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.[9] In his sophomore season, Banchero averaged 18.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, leading O'Dea to the Class 3A state championship, where he was namedmost valuable player.[10] As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 blocks per game for the Class 3A runners-up, earning WashingtonGatorade Player of the Year andMaxPreps National Junior of the Year honors.[11][12] Banchero was named to theMcDonald's All-American Game andJordan Brand Classic rosters.[13]
Banchero was a consensus five-starrecruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class. Although he received offers from topNCAA Division I programs, includingDuke andKentucky, most recruiting analysts predicted that he would commit toWashington.[14] Despite the predictions, on August 20, 2020, Banchero committed to playing college basketball for Duke.[15][16][17]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero PF | Seattle, WA | O'Dea (WA) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Aug 20, 2020 | |
Recruit ratings:Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (97) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 2 ESPN: 3 | ||||||
Sources:
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In his college debut, a 79–71 win againstKentucky, Banchero scored 22 points.[18] On November 15, Banchero earned his firstAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Week honor.[19] On November 23, 2021, Banchero registered 28 points and 8 rebounds in a 107–81 victory againstThe Citadel.[20] On November 27, 2021, Banchero scored 21 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a 84–81 win againstGonzaga.[21] On November 29, 2021, Banchero was named ACC freshman of the week for the second time.[22] On December 23, 2021, Banchero put up 23 points in a 76–65 victory overVirginia Tech.[23] On January 12, 2022, Banchero registered 24 points and 5 rebounds in a 76–64 victory againstWake Forest.[24] On January 15, 2022, Banchero tallied 21 points and 8 rebounds in a 88–73 win overNC State.[25] On January 17, 2022, Banchero earned ACC freshman of the week honors.[26] On February 12, 2022, Banchero scored 16 points and snagged 14 rebounds in a 72–61 win againstBoston College.[27] He was named first-teamAll-ACC as well asACC Rookie of the Year.[28] On March 15, 2022, Banchero was named athird-team All-American.[29] During the2022 NCAA tournament, Banchero performed well, including scoring 22 points againstTexas Tech.[30] As a freshman, he averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. On April 20, 2022, Banchero declared for the2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[31]
Banchero was selected with thefirst overall pick by theOrlando Magic in the2022 NBA draft.[32] During the draft at that time, it was a surprising selection as the Magic were reported to be takingJabari Smith Jr. with their pick. He made his2022 NBA Summer League debut on July 7 against theHouston Rockets with 17 points, four rebounds and six assists in a 91–77 win.[33] On October 3, 2022, Banchero made his preseason debut, putting up eight points, two rebounds and one assist in a 109–97 loss to theMemphis Grizzlies.[34] On October 19, Banchero made his regular-season debut, putting up 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks in a 113–109 loss to theDetroit Pistons. Banchero also became the first player sinceLeBron James to put up at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in an NBA debut.[35] On November 5, Banchero put up 33 points and 16 rebounds in a 126–123 loss to theSacramento Kings. He also became the second teenager in NBA history to put up at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game, joining LeBron James.[36] At the season's end, Banchero was named theNBA Rookie of the Year and earnedNBA All-Rookie Team honors.[37][38]
On November 2, 2023, Banchero put up 30 points alongside a game-winning layup in a 115–113 win over theUtah Jazz.[39] On November 4, Banchero recorded a 25-point and 10-assistdouble-double while adding seven rebounds and leading the Magic to a 120–101 win over theLos Angeles Lakers.[40] On November 15, Banchero posted 17 points, nine rebounds, and made a game-winner in a 96–94 win over theChicago Bulls.[41] On December 6, Banchero put up a then career-high 42 points in a 121–111 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers.[42] On January 3, 2024, Banchero scored a then career-high 43 points in a 138–135 double-overtime loss against theSacramento Kings.[43] On January 6, Banchero recorded his first career triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals in a 122–120 win over theDenver Nuggets.[44] On February 1, 2024, Banchero was named to his first careerAll-Star Game as an Eastern Conference reserve.[45] On February 24, Banchero put up 15 points alongside a game-winning jumpshot in a 112–109 win over theDetroit Pistons.[46]
On April 20, Banchero played in his first career postseason game, recording 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, however committing nine turnovers in a 97–83 loss in Game 1 of theFirst Round to theCleveland Cavaliers.[47] Trailing 2–0 heading into Game 3, Banchero led Orlando to a 121–83 dominant victory over Cleveland behind his 31-point, 14-rebound performance.[48] In Game 5, Banchero scored a playoff career-high 39 points, along with eight rebounds and four assists in a 104–103 narrow loss to the Cavaliers.[49] Orlando would go on to lose to Cleveland in seven games despite Banchero's 38-point and playoff career-high 16-rebound outing in the 106–94 close-out loss in Game 7.[50]
On October 23, 2024, in the Magic's season-opening game, Banchero put up 33 points and 11 rebounds in a 116–97 win over theMiami Heat. He joinedShaquille O'Neal andTracy McGrady as the only players in Magic franchise history to put up at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a season-opening game.[51] On October 28, Banchero put up a career-high 50 points, along with 13 rebounds, nine assists and two blocks in a 119–115 win over theIndiana Pacers.[52] Banchero's 50-point performance made him the fourth player in Orlando Magic history to score at least 50 points in a single game.[53]
On October 30, while playing against theChicago Bulls, Banchero suffered a torn oblique on his right side. Banchero later stated that he played through the pain, only receiving medical attention after Orlando's loss. On November 1, hours before a game against theCleveland Cavaliers, Banchero's diagnosis was made public. He was expected to be re-examined four to six weeks following the initial diagnosis, and to sit out indefinitely.[54][55] Banchero returned on January 10, 2025, posting 34 points and seven rebounds in a 109–106 loss against theMilwaukee Bucks.[56] On February 20, Banchero put up 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a 114–108 win over theAtlanta Hawks. He joined O’Neal and McGrady as the only players in Magic franchise history to put up multiple games with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.[57]
On July 7, 2025, Banchero signed a five-year, $239 million contract extension with the Magic.[58]
Banchero was eligible to play for theItaly national team and indicated his willingness to represent Italy in international competitions.[59] He was selected to their 24-man squad for theEuroBasket 2022 qualification games in November 2020; however, he did not play.[60] In June 2023, Banchero opted to play for the2023 U.S. national team at theFIBA Basketball World Cup.[61] He said that his mother had played for Team USA, so it was always his dream.[62]Gianni Petrucci, president of theItalian Basketball Federation, described Banchero's decision as "betrayal."[63]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Orlando | 72 | 72 | 33.7 | .427 | .298 | .738 | 6.9 | 3.7 | .8 | .5 | 20.0 |
| 2023–24 | Orlando | 80 | 80 | 35.0 | .455 | .339 | .725 | 6.9 | 5.4 | .9 | .6 | 22.6 |
| 2024–25 | Orlando | 46 | 46 | 34.4 | .452 | .320 | .727 | 7.5 | 4.8 | .8 | .6 | 25.9 |
| Career | 198 | 198 | 34.4 | .445 | .320 | .730 | 7.1 | 4.6 | .8 | .6 | 22.4 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 18.9 | .333 | .000 | — | 9.0 | 5.0 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Orlando | 7 | 7 | 37.5 | .456 | .400 | .755 | 8.6 | 4.0 | 1.1 | .6 | 27.0 |
| 2025 | Orlando | 5 | 5 | 39.4 | .435 | .444 | .659 | 8.4 | 4.2 | .6 | .8 | 29.4 |
| Career | 12 | 12 | 38.3 | .447 | .418 | .711 | 8.5 | 4.1 | .9 | .7 | 28.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Duke | 39 | 39 | 33.0 | .478 | .338 | .729 | 7.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .9 | 17.2 |
Banchero's mother,Rhonda (née Smith), played college basketball forWashington Huskies women's basketball, leaving as the program's all-time scoring leader. She was a third-round selection in the2000 WNBA draft and played professionally in theAmerican Basketball League and overseas. Rhonda subsequently became a basketball coach atHoly Names Academy in Seattle,[4][6] and taught young Paolo the game.[64] Banchero's father, Mario, and his uncle playedcollege football forWashington. His parents met while attending theUniversity of Washington.[14]
Banchero is of African-American descent on his mother's side and of Italian descent on his father's side.[8] In February 2020, he received Italian citizenship because of his paternal ancestry.[65]
Banchero's paternal cousin,Chris Banchero,[66] is also a professional basketball player in thePhilippine Basketball Association, playing for theMeralco Bolts.[67] They both won championships at O'Dea High School.
On the morning of November 14, 2021, Banchero was charged with aiding and abettingDUI afterDuke teammate Michael Savarino, grandson of coachMike Krzyzewski, was arrested on DUI charges.[68] On July 29, 2022, the charges against Banchero were dropped after Savarino pled guilty to DUI.[69]
On May 8, 2022, Banchero attended the inauguralMiami Grand Prix inMiami Gardens where he was mistakenly interviewed bySky Sports announcerMartin Brundle believing he wasPatrick Mahomes.[70] The gaffe was caught on live television.
In November 2025, Banchero joined the ownership group of theSeattle Seawolves. He also has stakes inAC Milan. Off the court, he continues to give back through his work with theBoys & Girls Club.[71]
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