2023 FIBA World Cup: Paolo Banchero blasted by Italy basketball federation president for 'betraying' his heritage
The Italian Basketball Federation is unhappy with Paolo Banchero after committing to play for the United States in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Banchero initially expressed his intentions to play for Italy this summer before becoming the 11th NBA player to commit to Team USA.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Basket News), Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci blasted Banchero for his decision to leave his father's home country hanging.
Petrucci was upset to find out about the Orlando Magic star's decision in the news rather than getting a call from him and his representatives:
"It was a legitimate decision, but he could have made a call to communicate that to us," Petrucci said. "Instead, we learned about his decision from the newspapers. In the past few days, he was in Milan, and despite our agreements with his agency, he avoided the meeting with coach (Gianmarco) Pozzecco."
He added:
"Betrayal, especially in basketball, is a strong word. Situations like this happen, and personally, I'm used to it. But he fooled us. We were planning a great commercial strategy for him. Now we need to turn this disappointment into positive energy, I'm sure our coach will be able to do it."
Paolo Banchero, who won the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year, has an Italian passport. His father Mario is of Italian descent but was raised in Seattle, Washington. The Orlando Magic star was even called up by Italy for the EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers in 2020.
The 20-year-old forward revealed on The Young Person Basketball Podcast with R.J. Hampton in October that he planned to play for Italy at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
"I'm planning to play for the Italian national team, I'm not sure when," Banchero said. "I haven't been out there yet, but man, the amount of love I'm getting from there, it's crazy, man. It's crazy. I can't wait to go to Italy."
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Team USA roster for 2023 FIBA World Cup filled with young stars
Paolo Banchero was the latest NBA star to show his commitment to Team USA for the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup. The tournament will be held from August to September in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. Banchero is the 11th player who will be part of Team USA's preliminary roster.
Banchero joins fellow young players such as Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton Austin Reaves, Cameron Johnson and Walker Kessler. Stars like Jalen Brunson, Brandon Ingram, Mikal Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Bobby Portis have also announced their intention to play the basketball World Cup.
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