Duke Alumnus Paolo Banchero Steals the Limelight With His Commitment to Play for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup

Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero has committed to represent Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer, according to Joe Carson and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

There's been a whole lot of speculation surrounding the 2022 first-overall pick's national team commitment in the last few months. However, the Orlando Magic power forward is now expected to be on Team USA's roster for the tournament.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Banchero meets the criteria to participate in games for the Italy national basketball team through his ancestry. He has previously expressed his desire to represent the European country in international tournaments.

It seems he is now reneging on the agreement. The Italians had him in their plans for the World Cup this summer in the Philippines. However, he is now set to be seen in the colors of Team USA fighting for the country’s record sixth title at the tournament.

Banchero’s relationship with the Italian Federation

During Banchero's days at O’Dea High School, the Italian federation, led by national team general manager Salvatore Trainotti and assistant coach Rick Fois, demonstrated a keen interest in him and established communication with the player's family.

The Italian Federation had a well-defined plan for Banchero before approaching him. The intention was to guide him along a similar trajectory as American-born Nico Mannion, who had previously followed a successful path with the national team.

Mannion made his debut for the senior Italian national team at the young age of 16. He is thereby recognized by FIBA as a full Italian citizen without any naturalized status. However, due to some factors and the Covid-19 pandemic, this was not possible for Banchero.

Nonetheless, he obtained his Italian Passport in the summer of 2020 while still playing high school basketball. He was selected as part of Italy's 24-player roster for the EuroBasket 2022 qualification matches in November 2020. However, he did not participate in any of those games.

What does Paolo Banchero add to Team USA?

Paolo Banchero is on the verge of joining an American team already filled with exceptional talent. Team USA is widely considered the frontrunner for the gold medal in the upcoming FIBA World Cup.

He displayed impressive performances in his rookie season with the Orlando Magic. He started in all 72 games he played for the team and maintained an average of 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and made 1.2 three-pointers per game.

The FIBA World Cup is scheduled to commence on August 25 and conclude on September 10. This global tournament will take place in three host nations: the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The Magic rising star could definitely be one of the standouts of the tournament.