Paolo Banchero Celebrates NBA All-Star Announcement With Teammates, Coaches and Team Staff

MINNEAPOLIS – Paolo Banchero, as all of you probably know by now with him having 120 NBA regular season games under his belt, is a super unique basketball player because of all the versatility he possesses at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds. 

What also makes him distinct are all the accolades he’s been stacking up in the early stages of his career. 

Among them, and certainly the most significant to this point, is being named a 2023-24 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star reserve, announced Thursday night on TNT. 

“I was just super excited, was hopeful to hear my name called, and then once it was called, it was all joy and excitement,” Banchero said. “It’s been a dream for a long time. I’m just happy I accomplished it…I’m happy and proud.”

The Orlando Magic forward became just the seventh NBA player under 22 years old to win the Rookie of the Year award in their first year and be named an All-Star in their second year. The others who accomplished both those feats before turning 22 were Shaquille O’Neal (also with the Magic), LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic and LaMelo Ball. Among them, O’Neal was the only one who was also an All-Star in their rookie campaign.  

Averaging 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and a steal, while appearing in all of Orlando’s 48 games so far this season, Banchero found out he was an All-Star watching the TNT telecast with all of his teammates, coaches and other team staff in a ballroom at the hotel the Magic are staying at in Minneapolis, where they will play the West-leading Timberwolves on Friday night.

Behind-the-Scenes: Paolo Banchero Named an All-Star

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said of having his team with him to celebrate the honor. “Getting to experience that all together was huge. That’s how it’s been since I got here. Everybody has been together. They embraced me from the second I got drafted. Felt like a family from day one. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.”

Joining the 21-year-old on the East All-Star team in Indianapolis will be starters Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard, and fellow reserves Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, Bam Adebayo, and Tyrese Maxey. 

Banchero, who will also be playing in the Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend, is the ninth Magic player to ever be named an NBA All-Star, with the others being O’Neal (1993-96), Penny Hardaway (1995-98), Tracy McGrady (2001-04), Grant Hill (2001, 2005), Dwight Howard (2007-12), Rashard Lewis (2009), Jameer Nelson (2009) and Nikola Vucevic (2019, 2021).

If he can keep his statistical averages around where they currently are, Banchero will join rare company. Only two players under 22 years old have ever averaged 23-plus points, seven-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and at least one steal. LeBron did it in both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, while Doncic did it in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. 

Only two others reached those marks before turning 23, including McGrady in 2001-02 while playing for the Magic. Chris Webber was also 22 when he did it playing for Washington, then known as the Bullets, in 1995-96. 

Banchero has had several incredible performances this season, including erupting for a career-best 43 points in Sacramento on Jan. 3 and recording his first career triple-double the very next game on Jan. 5 in Denver with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. 

Perhaps most impressive is that he’s been able to play at such a high level even with opponents doing everything in their power to make things difficult on him, including sometimes sending a second defender his way. Banchero has already received more double teams in isolation this season than he did all of last year, per Second Spectrum tracking data. The only players in the entire league who have been double teamed more than him this season are Antetokounmpo, Randle, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Embiid. 

Every single East All-Star selected is playing for a team that currently has a winning record. With that in mind, Banchero sees this honor as just as much a team achievement as he does an individual achievement.

“Hundred percent,” he said. “That’s what I told the guys after was it’s been a journey since I got here, and before I got here. We’ve had a lot more success this year, and we’re just all going to continue to get whatever it is that we want, whatever goals that we have, we can reach them as long as we stick together and do what’s best for the team and win as many games as we can. I think everyone is going to get what they deserve.”

Paolo Banchero on Being Named a 2024 NBA All-Star