“I didn’t even know that was a nationally broadcasted thing” - Paolo Banchero on being mistaken for Patrick Mahomes at the Miami Grand Prix
When different sports cross paths, exciting things, such as an F1 reporter mistaking Paolo Banchero for Patrick Mahomes, tend to happen. As the college star prepares for the NBA draft, a video of him speaking about the misidentification was released.
With the NBA draft on Thursday night, clips of the top prospects are making the rounds online again. One of those is of Banchero speaking about being mistaken for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the Miami Grand Prix.
During the NBA combine, Banchero spoke with NBA Radio about being mistaken for Mahomes in Miami. He first talked about how the entire interview situation with the reporter began:
"That was a whole other situation in of itself. I mean, like I said, I was just walking and taking videos, taking it all in. Then, he tapped me on my shoulder and started asking me questions, and I was just lost. I didn’t even know that was a nationally broadcasted thing."
For a rising star like Banchero, he has been in situations where he has been randomly interviewed by journalists. At first, he did not think anything was out of the ordinary, so he thought it was a regular interview.
The NBA Radio interviewer suggested that Banchero should have gone with the comparison. Banchero explained the situation further, and when he realized the reporter thought he was Patrick Mahomes.
"Well, I didn't know he thought I was Patrick Mahomes," Banchero said. "At the end of the interview he was like, 'I think I got the wrong guy,' and I was just like, 'Alright.' I kept going, and then like 20 seconds later, my phone started going crazy, and everyone was like, 'He thought you was Patrick Mahomes.'
"Then I saw the video of him running after me, and I was like, "Oh, wow."
For a young player like Banchero, being mistaken for another famous athlete is not the worst thing in the world. Now, he will try to establish himself as a superstar in his own right, and that process will start with the NBA draft.
This Thursday night, Paolo Banchero will be all over TV as he starts his NBA journey at the 2022 Draft!
Just a few months ago, he was mistaken for @PatrickMahomes. Hear his side of the story from this year’s Combine 🤣🤣
@Pp_doesit | @Chris_Spatola | @RobbieHummel https://t.co/4fo1Xy4Zf2
Paolo Banchero reminisces about playing football before his growth spurt
The NBA Radio hosts brought up another great point: Paolo Banchero's height should have revealed that he wasn't Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes is not a tiny man, but, at 6-foot-3, he is significantly shorter than Banchero, who is 6-10'. If Banchero was closer to Mahomes' height, he could be working his way to the NFL.
sometimes i wish i didn’t grow past 6’4🤦🏽♂️🤣 twitter.com/stephnoh/statu…
While Banchero may wish he never grew past 6-4 at times, that feeling may go away during the NBA draft. The Duke Blue Devils star is expected to be picked among the first few selections on Thursday night.