Paolo Banchero hasn’t played a single game in the NBA, but he’s already taking the first steps towards stardom.
After an impressive Summer League showing, Paolo has reportedly reached an agreement on an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand.
Shams Charania dropped the news on Thursday evening:
Orlando Magic No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is finalizing an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 28, 2022
Of course, there’s no telling how good Banchero will become. It’s far too early to draw any conclusions on his game.
But from what we’ve seen at college and even since being drafted, the kid looks like a special prospect that could blossom into a star with the right kind of attention. On his podcast, Warriors star Draymond Green did not hold back his praise for the youngster, calling him a natural-born winner.
“Paolo Banchero, I think, is one of the ones,” said Draymond. “And the reason I think Paolo is one of them guys is because of the things that he did on the basketball court that were not scoring. … I hope that organization is ready for that player because that player is a winner. That player, he cares. I mean, he was out there playing them Summer League games like he was playing in the NBA Finals. With that type of intensity. That is a winner right before your eyes.”
The Orlando Magic is a franchise that regularly hangs out in the Eastern Conference bunker. Year after year, they are playing for the lottery and can just never seem to make progress towards being a true contender.
Paolo, if he becomes the player Draymond and others think he’ll be, could lead the Magic to better days. He could be the guy that changes the whole scene for Orlando basketball.
On that, we’ll just have to wait and see. But with this new endorsement from Jordan, you can bet that he’ll join guys like Ja Morant and Luka Doncic as one of the league’s featured young athletes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sqrQsNjGCA
