Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero's Italy Debut Might Be Put on Hold

Paolo Banchero has been expressed excitement in playing for Team Italy in the past, but the Orlando Magic Rookie of the Year might not suit up for the squad in this summer's FIBA World Cup.

Jeremy Brener | May 4, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The 2023 FIBA World Cup is a little over three months away, and a couple players from the Orlando Magic are eligible to compete, including No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero.

Despite hailing from Seattle, Banchero can compete with the Italian National Team through his father Mario, who is of Italian descent. In 2020, Banchero received Italian citizenship in order to represent the country on a national stage.

"It kept building inside me, you know, this interest for Italy and the love I've been feeling from the country. So I'm excited to play for Italy, representing Italy and eventually get out there," Banchero said in an interview during his season at Duke.

However, despite the excitement and anticipation for playing with Team Italy, it appears Banchero may not make his international debut this summer.

“We are currently on stand-by, and if I’m being honest, I feel more pessimistic than optimistic. Banchero has been overwhelmed by events in recent months," federation president Gianni Petrucci said. "If he won’t be with us for the World Cup, we now hope for the Paris Olympics.”

The FIBA World Cup takes place from Aug. 25 until Sep. 10 and is hosted by Indonesia, Japan and Philippines.

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Published May 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.