Paolo Banchero in Italy: ‘I am living my dream’
Paolo Banchero in Italy: ‘I am living my dream’
Paolo Banchero in Italy: the Orlando Magic star participated in the talk “Paolo Banchero: 20 years like us,” along with Federica Masolin. “This is my first time in Italy. Everyone knows that part of my family comes from this country and I have always dreamed of visiting. Being here is really special for me. My family comes from northern Italy, from Genoa, and my father has always told me about my origins. My name in the United States is unique. Growing up, I realized that no one was named like me.”
“I was curious, I wanted to know why I was called that, so my father told me about my origins, about that branch of the family I had in Italy and what had become of it. From that moment I was always intrigued to come here and learn more.”
On the beginnings of his career: “American football was my first great love, although I grew up playing basketball. My father played football. When I started, I was pretty good right away, while I had to work much harder to improve in basketball. On a football field everything came more naturally to me. It was my first love, I grew up loving it, playing it with my friends, watching it on TV. Even now I still follow it a lot. When I got to high school, however, I started growing a lot, and after my first year I had to stop because I reached 2.03 meters-I was starting to play basketball more seriously, and when you get to a certain height it becomes difficult to be on a football field.”
“My mother always inspired me a lot. She was a basketball coach, and from the time I was born until I was 13, 14 years old she always kept coaching. As a kid, every day I would go to the gym with her so she could keep an eye on me: she would take me to practice, let me hang around and see how she coached the team. She was always strict with me and taught me a lot about both basketball and life.”
“The last year has gone by really fast, and so much has happened, from being the first pick in the draft to being rookie of the year. It all happened very quickly but I learned a lot. I’m living my dream: if someone had told me when I was 13 or 14 years old that I was going to be the first pick in the Draft, I probably would have looked at him as if he was crazy and laughed, because it would have seemed out of this world to even think that. But by staying focused, working hard, things happened naturally, God had a plan for me and I was lucky to make it. Draft night I will never forget. To be selected, to hear the NBA commissioner say my name was the realization of a dream. I cried with joy for the first time.”
