Who Are Paolo Banchero Parents? More On American-Italian College Basketball Player Family

Meet Paolo Banchero’s parents, Mario and Rhonda, who have been excellent former players for Huskies. Learn more about the basketball player in this article.

Paolo Banchero is a basketball player for the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Duke Blue Devils (ACC). 

He has been playing basketball and football since a very young age. Paolo is a 5-star basketball player, according to 247 Sports, Rivals, and ESPN. He is given a grade of 97 on ESPN.

On August 20, 2020, he agreed to terms with the Duke Blue Devils. Paolo, one of the top-rated players in the 2021 class, is destined to take the entire world by storm with his extraordinary gameplay.

Who Are Paolo Banchero Parents?

Paolo was born on November 12, 2002, in Seattle, Washington, to his parents. His parents, Mario Banchero and Rhonda Smith are an American-Italian couple. 

Paolo is one of the top-rated players in the 2021 class. Despite receiving offers from top NCAA Division I programs such as Duke and Kentucky, most recruiting experts predicted committing to Washington, which his parents prefer. 

So Banchero’s recruitment has reached a new level, one that he and his father both described as “surreal” and that he and his father believe will only intensify over the next year.

Mario Banchero, his father, stated, “Until last year, you’d have thought, ‘Man, if Coach K or Coach Cal ever calls, it’ll be done.’ ‘It would be over,’ he says. But now after those events have occurred, and it’s just the next stage [in the recruitment process].”

Both His Father Mario Banchero and Mother Rhonda Smith Are Professional Basketball Player

Mario is Italian, and Rhonda is African-American.

Rhonda, his mother, was a former professional basketball player for the Girls Club.

Banchero’s mother and father both were former players for the Huskies. His mother, Rhonda Smith, graduated as Washington’s all-time leading goal scorer.

She met her husband, Paolo’s father, while they were both students at the Pac-12 school.

His mother was the source of inspiration to Paolo.

Paolo always attributes his accomplishments to his parents. His mother encouraged him to play, and he is where he is today because of her mother’s encouragement.

Paolo Banchero Ethnicity Revealed

As his father Mario is of Italian descendants and his mother Rhonda is African-American Decendents, Paolo has mixed ethnicity.

However, he was granted Italian citizenship in February 2020.

Since the beginning, he has been a fantastic player. The 18-year-old finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and a 7-for-11 field-goal percentage as No. 9 Duke defeated No. 10 Kentucky, 79-71.

After the game, head coach Mike Krzyzewski remarked, “He’s a fantastic talent, and you can train him hard.”

“But he’ll keep getting better.” He’s the genuine article. There’s no doubt about it.”

According to ESPN, the 6ft 10in, 250-pound power forward is a top-three recruit and the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

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