“I didn’t have a fun time”: Paolo Banchero talks about his lukewarm visit at Duke and meeting with 'GOAT' Coach K

Paolo Banchero has become one of the top players for the Orlando Magic since they made him the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Prior to becoming a household name at the highest level of American basketball, Banchero produced a historic freshman season for the Duke Blue Devils. This got him noticed among several teams in the NBA.

However, Banchero's story almost panned out differently. During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Pardon My Take" podcast, the power forward revealed that the Blue Devils were not even in his top two.

This is because his official visit to Durham wasn't as good as other colleges on his list, which included Gonzaga, UNC, Tennessee and Kentucky.

"I thought about going to a few different schools," said Banchero. Honestly, like Duke wasn’t even, you know, probably a top two or three until COVID hit. Because I remember going on, I went on five official visits my junior year before COVID and everything.

"So I went to Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Tennessee and Gonzaga and I had a blast on four out of five. And Duke was the one I actually had … it was a great experience, you know, being around the campus, but, like, I didn’t have a fun time … not really feeling it."

Paolo Banchero admits conversation with Coach K and COVID changed his mind

Although Paolo Banchero didn't think of the Blue Devils as a top option, he revealed how the then-head coach Mike Krzyzewski, aka Coach K, convinced him to come to Durham. This was brought about through several conversations during the tough times produced by the COVID pandemic.

"Once COVID hit and everything shut down, like, you know, I just kind of started thinking about it even more and more. And that’s when Coach K … you expect a guy like him … the GOAT to not be so, you know, anxious to talk to me every single day, but he was, by far, out of any coach calling me the most, texting me the most throughout the pandemic."

Paolo Banchero earned consensus Second-Team All-American honors and was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in his only season with the Blue Devils. He made an instant impact at Orlando, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2023 and making his first All-Star appearance last season.

On October 28, Paolo Banchero dropped the first 50-point game of this season to lead the Magic to a 119-115 win over the Indiana Pacers, while recording 13 rebounds. He will look to continue his red-hot form and help the Magic make consecutive appearances in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2018-2020.