[autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] got all the Duke headlines at the NBA draft in 2024, but two years before, all the news in Durham revolved around [autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag].
The Orlando Magic picked Banchero with the first overall pick in 2022, the fifth Blue Devil taken with the opening pick in the NBA draft. On Wednesday, with all eyes on the draft stage again, the Magic shared a video of Banchero remembering the night he owned the basketball world.
“Just thinking back to the emotions from that night, just how happy I was, how happy my family was, seeing us all at the table, brings back good memories.”
Banchero said he watched the clip of his name getting announced almost every day for his first couple of months in the league.
“To rewatch it again, it never feels any more dull,” Banchero said. “It’s always, you know, a great feeling when I watch it.”
Banchero led the Magic to the NBA playoffs last season as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
warning: emotional@Pp_doesit reflects on when he was selected #1 in the 2022 @NBA draft pic.twitter.com/OfkIRVNy4K
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 26, 2024
No other school can match the Blue Devils’ five No. 1 picks in NBA draft history. Check out every top-10 pick from Duke here.