"Sometimes you were like a zoo animal" - Paolo Banchero opens up about his time at Duke, says it prepared him for NBA
Paolo Banchero has opened up about his time at Duke and how it prepared him for the NBA. Banchero is having a historic start to his career with the Orlando Magic. The rookie is averaging an impressive 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his first five games.
On the first episode of "The Young Person Basketball Podcast with R.J. Hampton," Banchero talked about his celebrity status at Duke. The 2022 No. 1 overall pick explained how the experience helped him get ready for the league. There were times when it was a nuisance being a star in college, and he felt like a zoo animal.
"Going to Duke, it was totally different," Banchero said. "They treated you like a celebrity if you played basketball. It took a lot getting used to, but it helped me prepare to come to the NBA."
He added:
"Sometimes, you were like a zoo animal. In class, you'd see them whispering about you, staring at you, I had caught people trying to record me. I caught more than a few people trying to sneak-record me."
Paolo Banchero also added how tried to be as low key as possible, but it didn't work. People even found out where he lived, what his car was, and he got disturbed on Sundays. Banchero's classmates even brought their families to try and meet him in person.
"They knew where I stayed; they knew what my car looked like," Banchero said. "My classmates would start bringing their families to my dorm, knocking on my door. It would be a Sunday morning, and I get a knock, 'I just wanted to say hi.' There were pictures of people posting in front of my dorm room. Crazy stuff."
To listen to Paolo Banchero's entire appearance on "The Young Person Basketball Podcast with R.J. Hampton," click here.
Paolo Banchero off to historic start
Paolo Banchero is having a historic start to his NBA career. He's only the seventh player in NBA history to score 20 or more points in his first five games but the first teenager to do so.
Banchero is also the first player to have 120 points, 35 rebounds and 15 assists in his first five games since the 1982-83 season. The last player to do so was Hall of Fame forward Dominique Wilkins for the Atlanta Hawks.
Despite Banchero's brilliance, the Orlando Magic are winless in their first five games. Growing pains are expected for a young team like the Magic. In addition to Banchero, Orlando has a handful of young players on their roster.
Franz Wagner was among the best rookies last season, while Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and R.J. Hampton are three young exciting guards. Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr. and Bol Bol are big men all under 25. They also have Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac on the shelf due to injury who could help the team when healthy.