In an interview with GQ Magazine, Duke forward and projected top-three pick Paolo Banchero cleared the air about his old comments over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
An old video of Banchero resurfaced on social media, claiming he grew up disliking the Thunder due to the franchise moving from his Seattle — the city he grew up in.
When asked to clarify if he still feels that way about the Thunder — who are picking No. 2 in the 2022 NBA draft — Banchero said he no longer does and would love to be drafted by the team.
“Nah, nah! I definitely will retract that statement. Being from Seattle, everyone was sick when the team left. But it wasn’t like I had a hatred for them.. I’ve visited and worked out for them and really, really enjoyed it. I’d be really blessed to get drafted there…
The [Thunder] organization is really high level, from the general manager to the coaches, everything is very professional. They do everything the right way. You can tell they try to create a winning environment where players can really thrive”
Banchero also confirmed that he met and worked out for the Thunder, which means that the consensus top-three prospects in Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr., Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren and Banchero have worked out for the team.
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