The first round of the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs is currently in full swing, and some players of Italian descent are standing out in a big way.
The most impressive of the bunch is Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. The first-time All-Star has written his name into NBA history books over his team’s first three games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per contest. Game 3 of the seven-game series was his best with 31 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 0 turnovers, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to put up a 30-10-5-0 stat line at just 21 years old. He is the first Magic player ever to post 30+ points in a playoff game, earning many other well-deserved records in the process.
New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo has garnered attention around the league as well for his Game 2 performance against the Philadelphia 76ers. In 37 minutes of play, the Villanova product contributed 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in a winning effort in front of The Garden faithful in NYC despite trailing by 5 points with under 30 seconds to play. The “Big Ragu” even hit the go-ahead 3-point field goal to secure the lead for the Knicks with 13 seconds left in a shot that electrified MSG.
In fact, the shot was so spectacular that it earned the extremely rare “Double Bang” from legendary broadcaster and hall-of-famer Mike Breen, which is just the sixth time that the announcer has made this call in his career.
The next and most seasoned Italian player in the playoffs is 14-year NBA veteran Danilo Gallinari of the Milwaukee Bucks. Although the former Italian League MVP has not seen any action in his team’s series against the Indiana Pacers, he may have a chance to see some minutes with stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard out for Game 4.
Moving to the Western Conference, the last player on the list is Denver Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson. The former NBA champion was born in Pordenone, Italy, and held Italian citizenship until 2008 before relinquishing it to become an American citizen.
He serves as the backup point guard to Jamal Murray who has played 40 minutes per game in the playoffs thus far, making opportunities for playing time sparse. In just 8.5 minutes per contest, Jackson has averaged 2.0 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists over four games that have ended favorably for the defending champions, netting a 3-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers.
With up to four games left to play in some cases, there is still plenty of basketball left to play in the first round of the playoffs. Italian players like Paolo Banchero and Donte DiVincenzo have set the tone early on and will hopefully continue to pace their respective teams to success.
