Paolo Banchero commits to play for Team USA at upcoming World Cup
Add the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year to the list of commitments for Team USA this summer. Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, is the eleventh American pro to commit for the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, league sources told The Athletic. And it’s a bit of a coup for the Americans, as Banchero, who was born in the U.S. but has an Italian passport, had previously said he would play for Team Italy this summer.
Source: Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, Joe Vardon and Shams Charania @ The Athletic
Source: Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, Joe Vardon and Shams Charania @ The Athletic
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Cody Taylor @CodyTaylorNBA
Fresh off of winning Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero will reportedly suit up for Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup later this summer:
therookiewire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-usa… – 11:56 AM
Fresh off of winning Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero will reportedly suit up for Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup later this summer:
therookiewire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-usa… – 11:56 AM
Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Paolo Banchero reportedly commits to Team USA for #FIBA World Cup #NBA
eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/1521… – 11:03 AM
Paolo Banchero reportedly commits to Team USA for #FIBA World Cup #NBA
eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/1521… – 11:03 AM
Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Paolo Banchero reportedly commited to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup #NBA #FIBAWC
eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/1521… – 11:02 AM
Paolo Banchero reportedly commited to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup #NBA #FIBAWC
eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/1521… – 11:02 AM
Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Paolo Banchero to play World Cup with Team USA
sportando.basketball/en/paolo-banch… – 10:31 AM
Paolo Banchero to play World Cup with Team USA
sportando.basketball/en/paolo-banch… – 10:31 AM
Dionysis Aravantinos @AravantinosDA
Team USA’s roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup:
Mikal Bridges
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Brandon Ingram
Paolo Banchero
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Cam Johnson
Walker Kessler
Bobby Portis
Austin Reaves
One spot remaining. – 10:28 AM
Team USA’s roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup:
Mikal Bridges
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Brandon Ingram
Paolo Banchero
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Cam Johnson
Walker Kessler
Bobby Portis
Austin Reaves
One spot remaining. – 10:28 AM
Joe Vardon @joevardon
Paolo Banchero commits to Team USA for FIBA World Cup, as Grant Hill, Americans lure rookie of the year from Italian team. W/ @ShamsCharania theathletic.com/4593978/2023/0… – 10:22 AM
Paolo Banchero commits to Team USA for FIBA World Cup, as Grant Hill, Americans lure rookie of the year from Italian team. W/ @ShamsCharania theathletic.com/4593978/2023/0… – 10:22 AM
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero – the NBA’s Rookie of the Year – has committed to play for Team USA’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines this summer, sources tell me and @joevardon. – 10:20 AM
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero – the NBA’s Rookie of the Year – has committed to play for Team USA’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines this summer, sources tell me and @joevardon. – 10:20 AM
Evan Sidery @esidery
Interesting development to monitor: Brandon Miller’s odds to go No. 2 overall are falling rapidly over the last hour.
Miller was -500 and it’s now down to -290 over on @DKSportsbook.
Something to watch because Vegas was first on Paolo Banchero going No. 1 last year. – 11:23 AM
Interesting development to monitor: Brandon Miller’s odds to go No. 2 overall are falling rapidly over the last hour.
Miller was -500 and it’s now down to -290 over on @DKSportsbook.
Something to watch because Vegas was first on Paolo Banchero going No. 1 last year. – 11:23 AM
More on this storyline
Banchero, 20, was given an Italian passport in early 2020 (his father is of Italian descent) with the idea that he would play for the Azzurri in the Tokyo Olympics. But the Games were delayed a year due to COVID-19, and he never appeared with the Italians. In the meantime, he played one season at Duke, where Hill is a legend, and Hill continued to pursue Banchero after he was drafted into the NBA. -via The Athletic / June 24, 2023
But Banchero was still talking about playing for Italy as late as last year, according to BasketNews, a European basketball news site. Just before he was drafted in June of 2022, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport “this summer, I won’t be able to play with the national team, but next summer, I will be there,” talking about Team Italy in the World Cup. He posed in a team picture with the Magic with an Italian flag, and on a podcast with then-Magic teammate R.J. Hampton, he said “I am with Italy now.” -via The Athletic / June 24, 2023
Clutch Points: Paolo Banchero: “What’s the story behind [wearing] #15?” Nikola Jokic: “I was chubby, I was big, and #15 was the biggest jersey.” 😂😂 (via @OrlandoMagic/ Tiktok) pic.twitter.com/ufKGU7WzY6 -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / June 12, 2023