Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero, the former No. 1 overall pick, is entering his fourth NBA season, and it looks like he’s out of his rookie era completely and stepping into the shoes of being a confident star in Orlando.
He was seen trash-talking the veteran Detroit Pistons player Tobias Harris during their matchup on Wednesday night. Things got heated when Banchero got fouled by Harris, and the veteran was convinced that the 22-year-old power forward was flopping.
What Paolo Banchero Really Said To Tobias Harris👀:
Paolo: “You suck, old a** n****”
Tobias: “It’s the first half”
Paolo: “You can’t guard”
Tobias: “You haven’t done sh*t”
Paolo: “I’ve been busting your a**”
Tobias: “Never, never!” pic.twitter.com/Ygb473FEva
— LegendZ (@legendz_prod) October 30, 2025
It got so intense that Harris started trash-talking by letting Banchero know how he felt about the call. But the Orlando Magic star did not back up; he went for it and clapped back at Harris, calling him out over his age and his basketball abilities. Here’s how the exchange went down:
Paolo: “You suck, old a** n****.”
Tobias: “It’s the first half.”
Paolo: “You can’t guard.”
Tobias: “You haven’t done sh*t.”
Paolo: “I’ve been busting your a**.”
Tobias: “Never, never!”
Paolo: “You’re trash, n****.”
Neither of them stopped talking or backed up, but the funniest part of the entire incident was how right after having such intense trash talk, and even getting a double technical for the heated verbal fight, Banchero went on to miss both of the free throws received off the foul from Harris.
The former 76ers star did not hold back after that; he kept trash-talking Banchero for a while after that, reportedly even calling him a “bum.”
The 22-year-old power forward’s nerves got the better of him, and the young star probably quickly understood that it isn’t easy to keep your cool while getting worked up by athletes you watched on TV growing up.
Banchero and the free-throw line are a tale as old as his career. Just that night, he attempted 17 free throws in the game, making 10 out of them. His free-throw attempts have been an ongoing narrative ever since the beginning of his career.
In his rookie year, Banchero had one of the highest free-throw attempts among his age group. He’s been called a foul magnet often. However, it has also been his Achilles Heel. Over his career, he’s shot 73% from the free-throw line, which isn’t really that bad, but when you look at the volume of free throws he attempts, it makes for a huge chunk of his offense.
So, maybe Harris was alluding to all of these facts when he kicked off the trash talk with Banchero. The incident was broken down by social media lip readers and went viral as the Pistons won 135-116, making Banchero’s trash talk in the first half look even worse.
The 22-year-old Magic star had 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 43.8% from the field, and was unable to make any three-pointers despite three attempts. Tobias Harris, on the other hand, scored 23 points, caught two rebounds, and made three assists as well, shooting 61.5% from the field and 25% from the three-point line. He also only attempted six free throws in the game, making all of them.
Banchero would definitely like to back up his trash-talk with made attempts next time, as clearly, Harris had the last laugh in this situation.
