Paolo Banchero recently joined a very elite club of players when he became the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2022 NBA draft, selected by the Orlando Magic. The pick came as a surprise since most people were predicting Jabari Smith to be selected No.1 overall.
In any case, Banchero was the selection when the time came and since then has been enjoying the media attention that comes with being the No. 1 pick. There will be scrutiny as well when the season comes around, but for now, the NBA world is simply getting to know the young man that has shown so much promise at a young age.
In a recent interview with Complex, Banchero was asked several questions spanning rap music and basketball. The basketball questions included who he thinks the top 5 players in the league currently are, as well as his all-time Top 5.
“Top 5 in the NBA right now? No order, LeBron, KD, Giannis, Embiid, and Steph.
“There’s no order, by the way, there’s no order. But Kobe, MJ, LeBron, Magic, and Kareem.”
LeBron James is the only player to feature on both lists, and it’s hard to dispute any of Banchero’s other choices either. Michael Jordan is considered the GOAT and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is easily in the conversation as well, while Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson both had a massive impact on the NBA as well.
The current players he chose, the ones he will be competing against next season, are all fair picks as well. Giannis is arguably the best in the world right now, LeBron and Durant both had massive seasons, Joel Embiid almost won MVP, and Steph Curry did win Finals MVP. Banchero will be aiming to join the conversations that these players have put themselves in, but there’s a lot of work to be done before then.
