Former Duke basketball player Paolo Banchero had a fantastic lone season in Durham, leading the Blue Devils to a Final Four appearance in 2022 before the program lost in crushing fashion to North Carolina, ending Coach K's legendary career.
Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 47.8% shooting from the field and 33.8% shooting from three-point range in 2021-22 for Duke.
The forward then went on to be selected #1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, and has had a stellar NBA career thus far.
Banchero earned his first All-Star selection in 2024 and has averaged 22.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game on 44.5% shooting from the floor across his three NBA seasons in Orlando.
And now, Banchero has cemented his name in Orlando Magic history books, becoming just the third player in franchise history to average 25+ points per game in a season. The third-year NBA big joins Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal as the only Magic players to ever do so.
🌟 PAOLO JOINS ELITE COMPANY 🌟
— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2025
Tracy McGrady.
Shaquille O'Neal.
Paolo Banchero.
The only players in Magic franchise history to average 25+ PPG in a season! pic.twitter.com/wMJll75eDx
Banchero averaged 25.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 2025.
The Magic sealed its playoff spot in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament last night with a commanding 120-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Orlando will now play the 2-seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Banchero contributed 17 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in the victory.
Magic fans are excited to face the defending NBA champion Celtics in the first round, as fans were chanting "we want Boston" after the victory on Tuesday night.
Although it was a bit of a disappointing season for the Magic as it came in as a sleeper NBA Championship contender, Orlando will now have a chance to turn the season around and take down a mighty Celtics squad led by former Duke Blue Devil Jayson Tatum.
Banchero has had a phenomenal beginning to his NBA career and is now looking to add to his resume in the postseason. The Magic will begin the seven-game series against the Celtics on April 20th at 3:30 pm EST on ABC.