Magic PF Paolo Banchero, Team USA to Face Italy
ORLANDO - The United States men's national team is set to face off against Team Italy in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup on Tuesday. Team USA/Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is very familiar with his opponent.
The matchup comes after a long back-and-forth decision between whether Banchero would play for the United States or Italy. Banchero is eligible to play for both because his mom was born in the U.S., while his dad was born in Italy.
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“You’ve got to pick one or the other," Banchero said via Ben Golliver. "Someone’s going to be left out. … It was a hard decision but it had to be made, and hopefully it was no hard feelings. … I feel like respect was shown on both sides.”
Banchero was projected to be suiting up for the Italy at the FIBA World Cup - even stating that he would've played for them in 2020 had it not been for COVID-19. However, the former No. 1 opted to stay for the United States ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci wasn't a fan of the decision.
“Betrayal, especially in basketball, is a strong word," Petrucci said. "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.”
Banchero and the rest of Team USA plays against Italy at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The game can be watched on ESPN2 or ESPN+.
