Duke basketball: Reporter mistakes Paolo Banchero for Patrick Mahomes

Duke basketball forward Paolo Banchero (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Duke basketball forward Paolo Banchero (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

A Duke basketball superstar was mistaken for the face of the National Football League. 

Everyone has mistaken a person for someone else at some point in their lives, and a Duke basketball superstar is not immune to that.

Paolo Banchero attended Sunday’s Formula One 2022 Miami Grand Prix and was one of the many high-profile athletes at the event.

However, one international reporter thought the Blue Devil star was Kansas City Chiefs superstar and National Football League MVP Patrick Mahomes.

Martin Brundle, a former Formula One driver, was working trackside for interviews of the celebrities at the event, and he caught up with Banchero, except he didn’t know that.

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“It’s not Patrick . That’s why he ignored me in the beginning,” Brundle told the audience.

“What is your name, sir?” he continued.

“Paolo…Banchero,” the former Blue Devil said as he was clearly caught off guard by the reporter not knowing who he was.

“Ok, well, I thought I was talking to somebody else. I’m sorry about that,” as the awkward interview ended with Banchero shaking Bundle’s hand and walking away.

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While the players have relatively similar haircuts, there is a stark difference between Paolo Banchero and Patrick Mahomes.

Banchero, according to the official Duke website, is listed at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds, and is only 19 years old.

Mahomes, as listed by the Kansas City Chiefs website, is 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, and 26 years old.

However, there are much worse people in the world to be mistaken for.

Duke basketball star responds on social media

The interaction quickly went viral, and the two athletes shared a laugh and their responses on Twitter.

Patrick Mahomes will be looking to win his second Super Bowl this fall with the Chiefs. Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero will officially become a professional basketball player this summer.

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Banchero is a projected Top-3 pick in June’s 2022 NBA Draft after he was named a consensus Second Team All-American, ACC Rookie of the Year, and a member of the All-ACC First Team in his only year at Duke.

The NBA Draft will be held on June 22 in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Hopefully, all of the reporters will recognize Paolo Banchero and address him properly throughout the rest of the draft process.