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will play with Orlando Magic- Corriere.it

from Alessandro Fulloni

The 19-year-old of Ligurian origins born in Seattle and dreams of the Azzurri national team.
He equaled Andrea Bargnani, who was also the first overall pick in 2006

Surname of Ligurian origin: Banchero. The first name (Paolo) printed on two passports: the Italian one and the US one. Born in Seattle in 2002, this boy, in fact Paolo Banchero, in the night between Thursday and Friday became the first overall choice in the NBA Draft. And to select it were the Orlando Magic. The 19-year-old talent (profrom the Duke Blue Devils college basketball team) was given in the top three, in the direction of Houston Rockets, but in recent days the rumors about a possible move to number one have increased. So it was. When commissioner Adam Silver (the most powerful man in the NBA) called his name, Banchero – all dressed in purple and at the foot of the sneaker with some sort of sequins – put his hands on his face, excited, and went up on stage to receive the greetings of the commissioner.

Cos’ il Draft

The Draft is, after all, a democratic system, designed to contribute to the rebalancing of values: the principle that the best youngster out of college goes to the team that did worse in the previous season. Since 1984, the first absolute choice has been awarded through a lottery that extracts the order of the first three calls: this year it’s the Orlando Magic’s turn. Who have precisely selected Banchero. The 2022 Draft will have 58 calls instead of 60: Miami and Milwaukee have in fact lost the right to appoint in the second round due to some market irregularities.

Paolo, pure millenial

Paolo from Seattle, a pure millennial – born in 2002 -,

tall, physical and strong: 210 centimeters tall, crushes, penetrates, scores from distance, serves assistsuses the body with a fluency and dynamism that recalls the best of the best of basketball, even the movements – made the appropriate proportions – of a LeBron James, a Kobe Bryant or, when near the basket, a Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The blue dream

We Italians are interested in Banchero doing well also in the NBA, because he is the great news of our basketball. ‘American citizen, but since February 2020 he also has our passport – despite speaking very little of our language and having never been to Italy – thanks to Ligurian roots of paternal great-grandparents (here is the joker we fished): he then gave us a great gift by announcing that he will wear the blue of the national team and not the US tank top. It may not happen this year at the European Championship, but maybe it will happen – if the Azzurri qualify – at the 2023 World Cup. The second time in the history of the draft that an Italian becomes first choice. It also happened in 2006 and that time the star was Andrea Bargnanithen destined for a great success in the NBA (read what the Magician does today).

Son of athletes

Banchero son of athletes: the American mother Rhonda Smith she played in the top women’s league (WNBA) while her father Mario was a former college-level American football player. The great-grandparents of the first choice emigrated to the United States in the early twentieth century, to work as farmers and miners in the coal mines.

The other Italian selected: Procida from Fortitudo to Portland

On the night of the NBA Draft there is not only Banchero to hold up the name of Italy. Another Italian was selected to play in the most important basketball league in the world: Gabriele Procida, 20, from Como, grew up in Cant, wing of Fortitudo Bologna where this year he played 26 games with an average of 7 points and 3 rebounds per game. The young blue was selected, at number 36, by the Portland Blazers.

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June 24, 2022 (change June 24, 2022 | 06:52)


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