Kevin Durant Sends Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero to Orlando with a Message

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero went toe-to-toe for the first time on Monday night.

ORLANDO - As a kid growing up in Seattle, Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero witnessed some great players play for his hometown SuperSonics such as Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. 

But there was always one player that stood out the most - even if he suited up in the green and gold for just one season before the team moved to Oklahoma City. 

"That is was one of the guys I always watched growing up," Banchero said about Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. "He played for the Sonics, came to Seattle for the pro-am. I remember watching him when I was really young, like 12 years old watching him play at (the pro-am at) the Seattle Pacific (University) gym. It is crazy to be on an NBA floor against him. It is a full-circle moment."

In his first career game against Durant, Banchero flashed his potential against the player he idolized growing up - finishing with 24 points, five assists and four rebounds. 

However, Durant showed exactly what he's done on the basketball court for the past 15 seasons, and why he's a sure-fire Hall of Famer, ending with a season-high 45 points while missing just five of his 24 field goal attempts in the victory. 

“That was definitely a great performance,” Banchero said. “Didn’t miss many shots. That was a tough cover, man. I don’t got much to say about that. That was amazing. That’s what he do. It’s Kevin Durant.

“You gotta accept the challenge, and today we tried to do what we can do. But sometimes there’s not much you can do when you got a player like that when he’s hot. So, you just gotta take the blows, try to respond and move on.”

But arguably the biggest lesson from the game came after the final buzzer, with the elder Durant gifting the rookie with a signed jersey and a message. 

"Just to keep going, stay healthy. He was showing his respects. I did the same."

"P, the work don't stop" — a message from Kevin Durant to Magic rookie Paolo Banchero pic.twitter.com/xeQdgRFdQV

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) November 29, 2022

Banchero and the Magic is back in action tomorrow night at home against the Atlanta Hawks, where the work don't stop.

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You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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