How long did it take No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero to put his stamp on the NBA season? About 24 seconds.
Paolo Banchero wasting no time to knock down the first bucket of his NBA career pic.twitter.com/ET8iorVMcR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 19, 2022
As the shot clock wound down on the first possession of the Orlando Magic's season — and Banchero's pro career — the 19-year-old forward cut to the wide-open lane, made space by bumping off Detroit's Saddiq Bey, and bounced in a turnaround jumper.
He didn't waste any time to get first NBA dunk, either.
Paolo Banchero’s first NBA dunk pic.twitter.com/Wp62wSzuP3
— Dunk League (@DunkLeague) October 19, 2022
Less than two minutes into the game, Banchero caught a pass at the free throw line and went straight fror the hoop. Fellow rookie Jaden Ivey wisely got out of the way as Banchero delivered an authoritative two-handed dunk.
After his first NBA quarter, Banchero had seven points on 3-of-3 shooting, a rebound, a block and two fouls in eight minutes. Orlando was up 22-8 when foul trouble sat Banchero down.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!