Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Great Gets Blasted After Joining Team USA

A Duke basketball legend helped land Paolo Banchero for the Americans.
Matt Giles|
Duke Basketball Great Gets Blasted After Joining Team USA
Duke Basketball Great Gets Blasted After Joining Team USA

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Last week, the Orlando Magic's reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero, committed to Team USA for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila, Philippines, beginning Aug. 25. The 20-year-old Seattle native — born and raised — will join forces with New Orleans Pelicans star and fellow Duke basketball product Brandon Ingram.

RELATED: List of Every Blue Devil Currently in the NBA

Safe to say Banchero's decision, or at least how he handled it, didn't sit well with Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci.

"It was a legitimate decision, but he could have made a call to communicate that to us," Petrucci said about Banchero, whose father is of Italian descent, during a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Instead, we learned about his decision from the newspapers.

"In the past few days, he was in Milan, and despite our agreements with his agency, he avoided the meeting with [Team Italy head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco]."

Petrucci didn't stop there.

"Betrayal, especially in basketball, is a strong word," he explained. "Situations like this happen. And personally, I'm used to it. But he fooled us. We were planning a great commercial strategy for him. Now, we need to turn this disappointment into positive energy. I'm sure our coach will be able to do it."

At the time of Paolo Banchero's decision, ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted that the 2021-22 Duke basketball centerpiece and former No. 1 overall draft pick "was previously verbally committed to playing for Italy."

RELATED: List of Duke's All-Time First-Round Draft Picks

According to Windhorst, Blue Devil legend Grant Hill, now the managing director of Team USA, played a role in securing Banchero's services for head coach Steve Kerr over Italy, which "had been recruiting Banchero since he was 16 and helped him get a passport in 2020, clearing the way for him to join the team."

To the ratings' dismay, Team USA and Team Italy are not in the same group for pool play. The earliest they could meet is in the quarterfinals on Sept. 5.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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