Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero recently shared a few tricks of the trade. He showcased his pre-game activation routine, which improves performance and reduces the risk of injury.
“If everyone did this every day, people would be 40-50 years old still playing basketball,” he said. “I’m a living testimony, I feel like. Get a little lacrosse ball, softball. Roll the feet out.”
He then proceeded to do some resistance band work for his ankles. “What this does, right here, is activate my ankles, activate my hip flexors, really just ankle rotations. I try to do everything I can to strengthen my ankles.”
“I think the key, when you’re stretching, is you’ve got to get your breathing right when you stretch,” he added. “If you’re not breathing right when you stretch, then you’re not relaxing all the way, which means your body’s not stretching.”
Banchero continued to do more movement-specific stretches to activate vital muscles and joints in the body.
“It’s like meditation,” he continued. “I always try to do this warm-up on the court. Looking at the arena, listening to music, just like, visualizing.”
"If everyone did this every day… people would be 40, 50 years old still playing basketball."
Making his 2nd playoff appearance at 22 years old… get an inside look at the routine that keeps Paolo ready! pic.twitter.com/pC1oZQa3EH
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2025
A pre-game routine is one of the most vital steps in a professional athlete’s preparation for a competition. Emphasis on stretching and muscle activation ensures that one’s body is in the best condition to produce results. Banchero’s consistency with this routine is certainly reflected in his performance.
Banchero has been a vital part of Orlando’s project. Although a very young team, the Magic features some incredibly talented players who are capable of going up against some of the best teams in the league.
The Magic forward is a driving force behind this. Having been named an All-Star last season, Banchero is widely regarded as the franchise’s cornerstone. Unfortunately, the forward missed a sizeable portion of this season due to injury early on.
In light of the fact that the third-year player only played 46 games, he still notched impressive averages in the regular season. Banchero recorded an average of 25.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. These figures were crucial in eventually helping Orlando secure the seventh seed in the East.
The 22-year-old is currently making his second appearance in the postseason. Coming up against the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, in the first round has certainly presented a different set of challenges.
The Magic suffered a hard 86-103 loss on the road in Game 1. Banchero’s 36-point eruption wasn’t enough as the seasoned veterans from Boston simply overwhelmed the young Magic squad in the second half.
A loss in Game 1 will hurt Orlando’s confidence. But the series is just getting started. With an opportunity to tie the series in Game 2, Banchero and the Magic will hope to take on Boston with a reinvigorated approach on Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET.
