Paolo Napoleon James Banchero is an Italian-American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association.
He was born on November 12, 2002, in Seattle, Washington to Mario Banchero and Rhonda Banchero.
His father Mario Banchero is an Italian businessman and former footballer, while his mother Rhonda Banchero is a retired basketball player. He has two siblings; Mia Banchero and Lio Banchero.
Banchero stands at a height of 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) tall and weighs 250 lb (113 kg).
Paolo Banchero graduated from O’Dea High School in Seattle, where he played football, as the backup quarterback on the state championship team, as well as basketball.
He led O’Dea to a state title, won MVP of the NBPA Top 100 Camp and Underclassmen of the Year in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.
Paolo Banchero finished school with a 3.5 GPA to end his junior year.
He played college basketball for the Duke University-Duke Blue Devils.
On April 20, 2022, Banchero declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
He was selected with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
In 2022, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-ACC first team.
.