Jordan Sets Release Date for Magic Star Banchero's First Player-Exclusive Shoe

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For the first time in his career, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero soon will have sneakers with his logo publicly available for sale.
On Feb. 17, Jordan Brand will release Banchero's Heir Series PE. The shoes' retail price is $110.
Banchero signed with Jordan in October 2022 ahead of his rookie season with the Magic.


The Heir Series is Jordan Brand's new unisex shoe that brings insights from the women's game but is built for all basketball players, Nike said.
“I’m proud to help Jordan Brand uplift and celebrate women in sports while also wearing a shoe that stands for both performance and purpose," Banchero said in a Nike release. “To have my Player Edition be part of the movement is an honor.”
WATCH: Magic's Paolo Banchero makes cameo in new Jordan "Unbannable" commercial
The shoes feature the Jumpman logo on the right tongue and Banchero's P5 logo on the left. The teal and green colors pay homage to his mother Rhonda Smith-Banchero, a former WNBA player, and his grandmother.
“Women athletes have always been a huge part of basketball for me: They’re the ones who taught me the game,” Banchero said. “My mom played in the WNBA and in college, and she instilled in me the discipline and dedication it takes to win.
"She and my grandmother have been my biggest inspirations, and without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. To have my first Jordan Brand Player Edition honor them is special; it’s a way to show my gratitude and remind myself of the foundation they built for me. Every time I step on the court wearing these, I’m carrying their legacy with me.”

Banchero's mother was a four-year standout at the University of Washington and three-time All Pac-12 performer. She was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2004.
She spent time with the Seattle Reign and Portland Power in the American Basketball League before being chosen by the Sacramento Monarchs in the 2000 WNBA Draft.
Banchero also has long cited the impact of the Boys & Girls Club on his upbringing. Many of his community events involve giving back to local clubs around the country.
Earlier this year, he surprised a number of members from the Harlem Club with a shopping spree at the NBA Store in New York City. Then, when the Magic were home around the Christmas holiday, he and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope treated kids from three Central Florida Boys & Girls clubs to a Walmart shopping spree.
Rotary Style, an AAU program in Banchero's hometown of Seattle, is linked with the B&G Clubs of King County. Banchero is one of numerous alums to play professionally.
“To be able to honor Rotary on my first Player Edition is a full-circle moment,” Banchero said. “It’s a place that shaped me not only as a player but as a person, too. It’s just one way I can give back to them and show love to the program that helped me get to where I am today.”

During the Magic's recent trip to Portland — the closest NBA city to Banchero's Seattle — he took time to meet players visiting the game.
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