Paolo Banchero calls cap on suggestions of rift between him and 6-foot-10 teammate

A viral video claimed Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero had a rift with his teammate, Wendell Carter Jr., during their matchup against the Houston Rockets on Monday.

The clip first shows Banchero passing the ball to Carter for a wide-open 3, upon which the 6-foot-10 center's shot attempt hit the backboard before being rebounded by Houston. Further, the clip showed Banchero speaking while walking back to Orlando's timeout huddle, coupled with incorrect subtitles and no audio to accompany it.

"What the f--k are they paying you for?" the subtitles read.

Reacting to the video on Wednesday, Banchero cleared the air on X, formerly Twitter, confirming that the narrative is entirely false.

"🧢 I’m rocking with Dell, y’all went and pulled 2 clips from different points in the game smh that’s not what was said either!" Banchero tweeted.

Monday's game concluded with a 97-84 road loss for the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero led their losing effort with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and a block, while Wendell Carter Jr. added eight points, 12 rebounds, an assist and a block.

Orlando Magic have a worse winning percentage since Paolo Banchero's return from injury

Paolo Banchero was sidelined for over two months from Nov. 1 to Jan. 9 due to a torn right oblique. In the Orlando Magic's 34 games during that stretch, they won 19, which translates to a 55.8% win rate.

Despite efficient outings by Banchero since his return on Jan. 10, the Magic's win rate has significantly declined. The first overall pick of the 2022 draft has consistently suited up for Orlando in the 27 games it has played since his return. However, the Magic have won only eight of them, which is a win rate of 29.6%.

Since his return from injury, Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 43.0% from the field, including 31.1% from beyond the arc. He is playing at a similar level to his pre-injury self and was also recently nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor for the first time this season.

Currently, the Orlando Magic stand eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-36 record and have won three of their last 10 outings. With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the Magic still have time to elevate their performance and clinch a spot in the playoffs.