The one from Seattle surpasses Jabari Smith in the race to be the first choice of 2022
Los Orlando Magic They bet this Thursday on Paolo Banchero, from Duke, as the first choice of the 2022 NBA draft, organized at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (USA). Born in Seattle, with Italian roots, Banchero broke the predictions that until a few hours before the draft saw forward Jabari Smith as the favorite to be chosen with the number 1. Banchero became the Orlando Magic’s fourth first pick, after Shaquille O ‘Neal (1992), Chris Webber (1993) and Dwight Howard (2004).
On the verge of tears from emotion, Banchero acknowledged that he was “speechless” because in his childhood his dream was to reach the NBA, but he did not know if he would crown it. He remembered his coach at Duke, the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, saying that he “taught him how to be a man” and “was always there for him.”
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In his only season at Duke, Banchero had a average of 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, reached the Final four. Power forward of 208 centimeters and 113 kilos, he will reinforce the Orlando Magic that were the worst team in the Eastern Conference in the recently finished season, with a balance of 22-60. He is the fourth Duke player to be selected with the number 1, after Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011) and Zion Williamson (2019).
His election with number 1 was announced by the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, shortly after recalling in his speech the 50th anniversary of ‘Title 9’, which prohibits discrimination based on gender or sexual identity in programs and programs in the United States. educational activities. Silver noted that Title 9 “laid the foundation for the creation of the WNBA” and is an important reminder that “there is still a lot of work to be done” to promote women’s sports.