What is Paolo Banchero's nationality? Looking at Orlando Magic forward's ethnicity and more

Paolo Banchero's nationality will become the talk of the town on Tuesday when Team USA takes on Italy in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals.

The Rookie of the Year and star forward of the Orlando Magic holds both an American and Italian passport, as he was born in Seattle, Washington, but his father and grandfather have their roots in Italy.

Paolo Banchero's nationality made him eligible to play for both Team USA and Italy, as he holds dual citizenship. But he chose the Americans. He justified his decision by saying that he wanted to play for Team USA, just like his mother did.

Paolo Banchero has no message for Italian fans heading into the FIBA World Cup quarterfinal

Paolo Banchero is expected to get booed by the Italian fans before and during the game, following what happened in the summer. However, the young forward is focused only on the game and didn't have anything to say about this off-court situation.

"Do you have a message for the Italian fans?," a Greek reporter asked Banchero on Monday.

"No," he replied.

This chat with the reporter highlights the issues Paolo Banchero's nationality created for the player this summer. The decision to play for Team USA and not Italy created a lot of controversy. Banchero had repeatedly shared his intention to play for the Italians but eventually chose to join the Americans.

The president of the Italian Basketball Federation, Gianni Petrucci, didn't like what happened and called out Banchero and his camp for how they handled and communicated this decision.

"It was a legitimate decision, but he could have made a call to communicate that to us," Petrucci told Gazzetta Dello Sport in late June. 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.

"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."

Petrucci knew that Paolo Banchero's nationality would benefit the Italians and would offer them an NBA superstar who would make a difference on both ends.

Despite Banchero's nationality and his Italian roots, the door is now closed for him after everything that went down in the summer.

Paolo Banchero's nationality will keep him eligible to play for the Americans in the coming FIBA competitions. But he will not have a warm welcome by the Italian fans every time the two teams face each other.

Paolo Banchero is coming off the bench for Team USA and is playing mostly as center. He is averaging 10.2 points and 3.4 rebounds for a PIR of 11.0 in 15.2 minutes on the floor, and he is expected to take more minutes on Tuesday, especially with the way the Italians play.

His defense will be key, as Simone Fontecchio, Achile Polonara and Nicolo Melli all have a pivotal role in the Italians' playing style.

This is a must-win game for both teams, who will look to advance to the semifinals and a matchup with the winner of the Germany vs. Latvia game.