There is no doubt that a lot of top-tier NBA prospects face a lot of media attention, even before they ever reach the league. We’ve seen a lot of players hyped by the media and fans during their times in high school and college.
Recently, Paolo Banchero talked about his experience being a popular athlete at Duke University, claiming that he loved his time in college, but adding that at times it felt like being a “zoo animal”.
It was almost like they treat you like a zoo animal… and I love Duke. In class you’d see them over there whispering about you, staring at you. I done caught people trying to record me… classmates would start bringing their families, brothers and sisters, moms and dad to my dorm… It was a good experience though.
It is easy to see how this level of attention could bother someone. Sometimes, athletes simply want to go about their day and not deal with consistent staring from the public.
As of right now, Paolo Banchero will likely continue to receive attention now that he’s in the league. He has already received praise from star-level players such as Draymond Green, and the spotlight on him will keep on growing as he gets better.
Paolo Banchero Wants To Be An Impact Player For The Orlando Magic
A lot of rookies come into their first season looking to win the Rookie of the Year award. There’s no question that it is a fair goal, but Paolo Banchero previously revealed that his goal is to “affect the Magic in a winning way”, rather than any sort of individual awards or numbers.
“If I affect the Magic in a winning way and we have a much better season than last year. Hopefully, we get in the playoffs. That’s the goal and that’ll be a success. Personally, I’m just going to do what I do. Being a great teammate and performing how I know I can. I want to be a winner and a guy that people love to watch play and play with.”
There’s no doubt that Paolo Banchero has had a good start to the season this year. He is currently averaging 22.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.5 BPG for the Orlando Magic, and if he keeps this up, the Orlando Magic may be able to be a play-in tier team this year.
Those numbers also suggest that Paolo Banchero could win the Rookie of the Year award, and he’s certainly a lot of people’s favorite in that race. Hopefully, we see him have a productive year, and help the Orlando Magic win more games than last season.
