Paolo Banchero facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paolo Banchero

Banchero in 2021
No. 5 – Orlando Magic
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(2002-11-12) November 12, 2002 (age 22) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Nationality	American / Italian
High school	O'Dea (Seattle, Washington)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (2021–2022)
NBA Draft	2022 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Pro career	2022–present
League	NBA
Career history
2022–present	Orlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2024) NBA Rookie of the Year (2023) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2023) Consensus second-team All-American (2022) First-team All-ACC (2022) ACC Rookie of the Year (2022) ACC All-Freshman Team (2022) McDonald's All-American (2021)

Paolo Banchero, born on November 12, 2002, is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

In 2022, Banchero was named the Rookie of the Year for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). After his first year in college, he decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft. The Orlando Magic chose him as the first overall pick. In 2023, Banchero earned the title of NBA Rookie of the Year.

Early Life and Growing Up

Paolo Banchero was born in Seattle, Washington. When he was just 15 months old, he was already 3 feet tall! As a child, he enjoyed playing both basketball and American football. He also took part in track sports.

Paolo played basketball at the Rotary Boys and Girls Club in Seattle. He also attended EBC Camps, like the Ballislife Jr. All-American Camp. His mother, who played basketball professionally, inspired him greatly. In seventh grade, Paolo grew from 6 feet 1 inch to 6 feet 5 inches. He was considered one of the top 50 eighth-graders in the country for both basketball and football.

High School Basketball Career

Banchero playing for O'Dea High School in 2020

During his first year at O'Dea High School in Seattle, Banchero played football as a backup quarterback on the state championship team. He also played basketball. As a freshman on the basketball team, he averaged 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

In his second year, Banchero averaged 18.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He led O'Dea to win the Class 3A state championship and was named the most valuable player. As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. His team finished as Class 3A runners-up. He received the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Junior of the Year awards. Banchero was also chosen for the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic teams.

Choosing a College Team

Banchero was a highly sought-after player for college teams. Many experts thought he would choose to play for Washington. However, on August 20, 2020, Banchero decided to play college basketball for Duke.

College Basketball Journey

In his first college game, Banchero scored 22 points in a win against Kentucky. He quickly earned honors, being named ACC Freshman of the Week multiple times. He had several impressive games, scoring 28 points against The Citadel and 21 points against Gonzaga.

Banchero continued to play well throughout his freshman year. He was named first-team All-ACC and ACC Rookie of the Year. He also earned a spot as a third-team All-American. During the 2022 NCAA tournament, Banchero performed strongly, including scoring 22 points against Texas Tech. As a freshman, he averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. On April 20, 2022, Banchero decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft, ending his college career early.

Professional Basketball Career

Orlando Magic (2022–present)

Becoming Rookie of the Year

The Orlando Magic picked Banchero as the first overall player in the 2022 NBA draft. This was a bit of a surprise pick at the time. He made his NBA debut on October 19, 2022. In that game, he scored 27 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and made five assists. He became the first player since LeBron James to have at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in their first NBA game.

On November 5, Banchero scored 33 points and had 16 rebounds. He became only the second teenager in NBA history to score at least 30 points and grab 15 rebounds in a game, joining LeBron James. At the end of the season, Banchero was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. He also earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team.

First All-Star and Playoff Appearance

Banchero continued to shine in the 2023-2024 season. On November 2, 2023, he scored 30 points and made a game-winning shot against the Utah Jazz. He also recorded his first career double-double with 25 points and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 6, Banchero scored a career-high 42 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then set a new career high with 43 points on January 3, 2024, against the Sacramento Kings.

On January 6, Banchero achieved his first career triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Denver Nuggets. On February 1, 2024, Banchero was chosen for his first All-Star Game as a reserve player for the Eastern Conference. He also made another game-winning shot on February 24 against the Detroit Pistons.

On April 20, Banchero played in his first career playoff game. He scored 24 points, had 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. In Game 3 of the series, he led Orlando to a big win with 31 points and 14 rebounds. In Game 5, Banchero scored a playoff career-high 39 points. Although Orlando lost the series in seven games, Banchero had a strong performance in Game 7 with 38 points and a playoff career-high 16 rebounds.

Injury and Return

On October 23, 2024, Banchero started the season strong with 33 points and 11 rebounds against the Miami Heat. He joined Shaquille O'Neal and Tracy McGrady as the only Magic players to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a season opener. On October 28, Banchero scored a career-high 50 points, along with 13 rebounds and nine assists, against the Indiana Pacers. This made him the fourth player in Orlando Magic history to score 50 points in a single game.

However, on October 30, Banchero suffered an injury to his right side while playing against the Chicago Bulls. He returned to play on January 10, 2025, scoring 34 points. On February 20, Banchero had another great game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists against the Atlanta Hawks. He joined O’Neal and McGrady again as the only Magic players to have multiple games with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

Future with the Magic

On July 7, 2025, Banchero signed a new five-year contract extension with the Magic.

Playing for His Country

Paolo Banchero was able to play for the Italian national team because of his father's family. He had shown interest in representing Italy in international games. However, in June 2023, Banchero chose to play for the U.S. national team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He said it was his dream because his mother had played for Team USA.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal Life and Family

Paolo Banchero's mother, Rhonda, played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. She was the team's all-time leading scorer. She also played professionally in the American Basketball League and overseas. Later, Rhonda became a basketball coach and taught young Paolo how to play.

Paolo's father, Mario, and his uncle both played college football for Washington. His parents met while they were students at the University of Washington.

Paolo is of African-American background on his mother's side and Italian background on his father's side. In February 2020, he received Italian citizenship because of his family history.

Paolo's cousin, Chris Banchero, is also a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. Both Paolo and Chris won championships at O'Dea High School.

In May 2022, Banchero attended the first Miami Grand Prix in Miami Gardens. He was mistakenly interviewed by a Sky Sports announcer who thought he was Patrick Mahomes. This mix-up was shown live on television.

See also

In Spanish: Paolo Banchero para niños