No one was more stunned at the Orlando Magic selecting Duke’s Paolo Banchero with the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft than the 19-year-old forward himself.
Banchero, who became the No. 1 pick on Thursday following months of speculation that Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. was Orlando-bound, did not work out individually for the Magic during the pre-draft process, according to multiple reports. He told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt that he didn’t know the Magic were picking him until “20 or 30 seconds before” the pick.
“My agent, Mike Miller, a couple of minutes before Orlando got put on the clock, he just was like, ‘Stay ready, be ready cause anything can happen,’ he wasn’t guaranteeing anything but he was just telling me to be ready, and then probably, 20 or 30 seconds before the commissioner [Adam Silver] walked out on stage, he told me and he looked at me and said, ‘Congratulations.’ I didn’t have time to think about it, or even realize what he said before I heard my name,” Banchero said.
Paolo Banchero stands with commissioner Adam Silver after being selected No. 1 by the Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, 2022. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Paolo Banchero embraces loved ones inside the Barclays Center during the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, 2022. APThe Magic’s curveball stunned much of the NBA community, though the 6-foot-10 Banchero told Van Pelt that it wasn’t quite that “random.”
“It was a little surprising but not all the way, I did all the pre-draft stuff for Orlando, was on multiple Zoom calls with management and coaches, looked their new practice facility at their building, Orlando did all their due diligence and homework so it wasn’t just a random pick or anything,” he continued. “I didn’t work out but I did everything else.”
Banchero finished the 2021-22 season at Duke by averaging 17.2 points per game and 7.8 rebounds. And while his next chapter awaits in Orlando, he is still savoring “one of the best moments” of his life on draft night.
Adam Silver shakes Paolo Banchero’s hand on stage at the Barclays Center during the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, 2022. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST“This is one of the best moments of my life. … This isn’t even a dream. I feel like this is a fantasy,” Banchero said. “I dreamed of being in the NBA, but being the No. 1 overall pick, this is crazy.”
Gonzaga star Chet Holmgren followed Banchero as the No. 2 selection for the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Smith slipped to No. 3 to the Houston Rockets.
