Paolo Banchero

Banchero and Holmgren are expected to be two of the top-three picks in the 2022 NBA Draft. Their choice in jewelry seemed to reflect parts of their past, ...

But one thing isn't: Banchero and Holmgren are using their jewelry selection to show off their brand at the next level. It was his jewelry that drew the most attention, though; Banchero had a custom diamond-encrusted chain hanging around his neck. But it's all about the accessories; the glistening Patek Philippe watches and iced-out necklaces that cost six figures to acquire.

The Orlando Magic have taken Duke power forward Paolo Banchero with the first overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft.

The 6-10 forward from Auburn is a natural fit in the current NBA game, able to defend all three frontcourt positions and with a shooting stroke that allowed him to hit 42% behind the arc. Bennedict Mathurin, a Canadian who played at Arizona, went to Indiana with the No. 6 pick. “I wake up every day with a plan on how to make myself a better person, better basketball player,” Holmgren said. “Definitely added a chip, but God makes no mistakes, so I’m happy to be here,” Smith said. The Magic were picking first for the fourth time and they've done well with their previous choices. "Orlando wasn’t really sure yet, and just to be ready for whatever,

Banchero didn't even have an official visit or go through a workout with the Magic during the pre-draft process.

... I didn't know I would be here, man." The Magic kicked off Thursday night's event by selecting Duke's Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick, blowing up several mock drafts that predicted Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. and Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren would be the first two players off the board. 7:55 p.m. ET — Banchero is suddenly "looming as the frontrunner" to be the top pick. 8:15 p.m. ET — The Magic make it official. 8:09 p.m. ET — Oh, so this is really happening. 8:41 a.m. ET — Wojnarowski reports that the order of the first three picks — Smith, Holmgren and Banchero — is growing "increasingly firm."

Paolo Banchero did not know, he said, that he would be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft until about 20 seconds before commissioner Adam Silver announced the ...

He can’t defend, but the Magic figure to worry about that later. Certainly, not letting out the fact that Banchero would be going to Orlando appears to have been important to the Magic. We just don’t know why. Maybe there was some jockeying for position when it came to the No. 1 pick, and if the Magic front office was considering trading away the pick in the weeks since it won the lottery in May, it did well to conceal it. The Magic willingly allowed the narrative that Smith would go first to blossom and take hold around the league, such that even Banchero, as he said, had no idea what was coming until Silver was ready to call his name. It was only in the last few days, and on Wednesday in particular, that some cracks in that presumption showed. “I didn't find out, though, that I was actually getting picked until about 20 seconds before the commissioner got on the stage,” Banchero said.

Banchero was made aware just seconds before the pick was in that the Magic had taken him, and was moved to tears when it happened.

They have a lot of team guys like myself and I think I’ll fit right in with them. He is a hard worker, incredibly talented and we’re thrilled to add him to our team.” He will arrive in Central Florida on Friday and formally meet everyone within the organization, likely for the first time. “They have a lot of talent. “Hearing the commissioner call my name was a priceless moment,” Banchero said. “We feel he was the best player in college basketball and we feel that he will continue to grow every year for many years to come.

The Orlando Magic took Paolo Banchero first overall in the NBA draft, with Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren going to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dieng was later traded to the Thunder. “That’s what I want to be.” Just ready to get in with the guys and get to work.

Banchero didn't even have an official visit or go through a workout with the Magic during the pre-draft process.

... I didn't know I would be here, man." The Magic kicked off Thursday night's event by selecting Duke's Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick, blowing up several mock drafts that predicted Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. and Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren would be the first two players off the board. 7:55 p.m. ET — Banchero is suddenly "looming as the frontrunner" to be the top pick. 8:15 p.m. ET — The Magic make it official. 8:09 p.m. ET — Oh, so this is really happening. 8:41 a.m. ET — Wojnarowski reports that the order of the first three picks — Smith, Holmgren and Banchero — is growing "increasingly firm."

The top five picks of the NBA Draft turned out to be a relative shocker and may prove to be one of the more impactful drafts in NBA history.

But in their biggest moment in a generation on Thursday night, they twisted the future of the entire NBA — and fooled the rest of the league in doing so. The top five picks going on to be the five best guys, well that has never happened. That in mind, it's been a long time since the top of an NBA Draft felt this consequential. There's a reasonable chance the best player in this draft fell to them at No. 3. This was one of the more intriguing lead-ups into a draft in some time. In what could prove to be one of the most talented drafts in recent history, Orlando and Sacramento — two franchises that have been bad seemingly for generations — subverted expectations and gave us mayhem. If Smith hits huge and becomes the best player, it's not unreasonable we could look up in 2027 and see the Rockets competing for NBA Finals appearances while the Thunder and Magic are still picking in the lottery. Has this ever happened in the history of the draft? Will the Banchero and Murray picks prove to be savvy, or will those decisions backfire on the two notoriously underperforming franchises that made them? Ever since the night of the lottery, May 17, it seemed all the momentum was behind the idea that the Magic were going to go with convention and take Smith at No. 1. The beautiful commotion of all of this is: we don't know. Despite the fact that — as we previously laid out right here — the debate over who should go No. 1 was as compelling as we'd seen in years.

The Orlando Magic selected Paolo Banchero as the first pick of the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday.

I wanted to be in the NBA, but I didn't know I would be here." "First off, just a winning mindset, a work-first mindset," he added. "Just ready to get in with the guys and get to work. "This is everything man, I worked day in and day out just to get to this level and I know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her and I'm just so happy, I'm just so happy," said Jalen of his selection. "This isn't even a dream. I feel like this is a fantasy.

Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren went No. 2 to Oklahoma City and Houston selected Auburn's Jabari Smith at No. 3. Follow along for live updates.

Most tweets probably wouldn't have been very complimentary after the Magic selected a lanky high school kid named Dwight Howard over UConn's national- ...

Thats one of the things the league is looking for— Pat Welter WRAL (@PatrickWelter) June 24, 2022 The best player in his draft class.— The Brotherhood (@BrotherhoodCBB) Magic's Jeff Weltman: The thing about Paolo is there isnt one thing. Paolo Banchero gives the Magic a 6-10 big with versatile scoring from inside and outside. He can drive with power finesse, plus he’s a creative passer off the dribble. -— Dan Savage (@Dan_Savage) @OrlandoMagicPresident of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman on keeping the pick close to the vest. "When you're playing poker, you don't put your cards on the table, right?" Banchero has been our No. 1 prospect all year because he’s the best shot creator in the class. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/1Ud7Yf7B8L June 24, 2022 And how these players develop over the next few years will make most tweets look idiotic, and perhaps some prophetic. Paolo Banchero is a Orlando Magic— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) @SociosUSAx #MagicDraft pic.twitter.com/gxFVzl1Rl3 June 24, 2022 — James D. Jackson (@JamesDJackson15)— James D. Jackson (@JamesDJackson15) #Thunderfans reaction to the Orlando Magic taking Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick in the #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/wdBcGJWXyP June 24, 2022

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