Paolo Banchero just accomplished what no basketball player of Italian ancestry has ever done before after being named a reserve player for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. The Orlando Magic star earned his spot in this year’s festivities in Indianapolis after continuing to exceed his already sky-high expectations following his rookie campaign in 2023, averaging 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on the season. The forward is currently a top 25 player in the league in terms of scoring and will hope to put on a show come All-Star Weekend alongside two other first-time selections, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey.
Banchero may be blazing a path for Italians in the NBA, but being the first overall pick in an NBA draft wasn’t a unique event for the Italian community as Andrea Bargnani was also selected No. 1 overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2006. However, Bargnani was largely considered a bust for averaging less than 15 points and 5 rebounds per game, with his All-Rookie First Team nod being the only NBA accolade he would receive over his decade of service in Toronto as well as New York and Brooklyn. As for Paolo, the Duke product won Rookie of the Year honors last season for averaging 20.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per game and has now even been recognized as one of the premier players in the National Basketball Association. The only other Italian player to be invited to All-Star Weekend is Marco Belinelli, who won the Three-Point Contest in 2014.
The reigning Rookie of the Year is Italian on his father’s side, with roots in Liguria among other northern regions of Italy. Banchero also holds Italian citizenship as of 2020 but still considers himself an American, having been born and raised in Seattle, Washington. This much was evident after he decided to represent Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup over Team Italy, despite verbally committing to play for the Italian national basketball team the year prior. Italian Basketball Federation President Gianni Petrucci referred to this change of heart as a “betrayal,” noting how Banchero “fooled us” before joining the USA team.
While Paolo Banchero is the most talented player of Italian descent currently in the NBA, several other Italian basketball players are having strong 2024 seasons. For example, Simone Fontecchio has been performing well in his second year in the NBA following his exceptional FIBA World Cup play that earned him All-FIBA World Cup Second Team honors. He is averaging 9.0 points per game in just 23.1 minutes, along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Meanwhile, Danilo Gallinari, who was recently traded to the Detroit Pistons, is having a solid bounce-back season after missing extended time in 2023 with a torn ACL. The 14-year NBA veteran is averaging over 12 points per contest in addition to 2.3 rebounds and assists.
Tom Gugliotta was an All Star in ‘97, do your research.