As the leader of a young and talented nucleus, Paolo Banchero has Orlando basketball fans eyeing the future with excitement.

Orlando might not have the rich basketball history of cities like Boston or Philadelphia, but in just 36 seasons with an NBA franchise, our town has been blessed with some of the biggest stars of their generation, from Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway to Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard. It is yet to be seen whether Paolo Banchero can someday reach the same status as those Magic icons, but if his first three years in the league are any indication, he’s well on his way.

Chosen first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft after one memorable season at Duke, Banchero joined the Magic during a rough period in which the team had qualified for the playoffs just twice in 10 years, never advancing past the first round. The 6-foot-10 power forward brought instant hope, as he helped Orlando improve by 12 wins in his first season on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors.

Banchero’s second season was even better: He made his first All-Star team and led the Magic to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference during the regular season before they pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in an exciting first-round playoff series. Despite falling in Game 7, the Magic entered the 2024-25 campaign with the franchise’s highest expectations in over a decade, thanks to a young nucleus led by Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.

“Obviously, we don’t want to be the same as we were last year,” Banchero said coming into the season. “We want to improve in all areas, and we want to … build on what we did last year. I think if we got knocked out in the first round again, nobody would be calling that success. I think we want to get further than that, secure home court. But we know it’s one game at a time.”

Health has been a major issue for the Magic, with Suggs and Moe Wagner both suffering season-ending injuries, and Franz Wagner and Banchero also missing time. A torn oblique muscle kept Banchero out of the lineup for 34 games, but since returning in January he has regained his All-Star form, averaging around 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game. It’s no surprise that the Magic entered March in the thick of the playoff race once again as they look to secure a bid in back-to-back years for the first time since 2020.

No matter how this season ends up, Orlando fans remain excited about the possibilities with Banchero leading the Magic into the future. The Seattle native—whose parents were both Division I athletes and met at the University of Washington—has found a home on the other side of the country and dreams of carrying the franchise to its first NBA championship.

Orlando Family Magazine spoke to Banchero about life as an NBA player, how he’s fitting in as a resident of Central Florida and what he misses most about Seattle.

Magic fans waited a long time for the team to be competitive again, and obviously there was a lot of buzz around last year’s playoff appearance and there continues to be excitement surrounding this young core. What has it meant to you help lead that resurgence and what you hope are the next steps for the franchise?
That’s what it’s all about, right? I think … every single year since I first got here it’s just been, you know, how can I help this franchise improve? And I just have felt that gradual improvement. I think we’ve all felt it, everybody here. And so, when you feel that improvement year in and year out it just motivates you to come back to the next season even better and stronger. And I’m confident in the work I put in, I know these guys put in a lot of work as well. … So it just gives you a sense of confidence knowing that not only am I putting in a ton of work but so are my teammates.

The team has persevered this year despite several key injuries, including your own torn oblique muscle that cost you 34 games. Being the first major injury of your career, how did you deal with it mentally and how can you describe the feeling of getting back on the court?
I think you have to be able to give yourself grace. I think that’s something coach [Jamahl] Mosley told me and Franz coming back from injury. Me and Franz, we hold ourselves and each other to a ridiculously high standard. We expect a lot from each other and when we don’t perform well I think we both take it really hard, and so I give credit to [Mosley] for reminding us that coming back from an injury like we are, not everything is going to go our way. You know, it may differ from game to game, so I think him just giving us that perspective changed our mindset a little bit and I think it allowed us to kind of depend on each other, help each other out, lean on each other.

You were pretty young when the Sonics left your hometown of Seattle, but did you still grow up as a big fan of the NBA? Is it a source of pride to continue the tradition of great Seattle players in the league?
I was really young when the Sonics left, so I didn’t really get a chance to go to any Sonics games. But I’ve always loved the NBA; I grew up watching it. Obviously, there were a lot of players from Seattle, while I was growing up, that were in the NBA. I had the chance to meet a lot of those guys, get to know a lot of those guys and they definitely inspired me to keep pursuing my dream.

Speaking of back home, you come from an athletic family, with both of your parents and both of your siblings all being talented athletes. Are you all competitive with each other? Did your mother in particular instill any lasting lessons considering she was a standout basketball player?

I would definitely say … growing up with two other siblings, things [were] always competitive. I’m the big brother though, so I was usually the one doing most of the winning, just trying to make my younger siblings tougher. I’m just proud of who they became and the journey that they’re on. And as far as my mom and dad, [they] taught me everything I know really, as far as mindset and work ethic and how to go about trying to be great, trying to be the best.

Other than family, what do you miss most about Seattle being on the other side of the country?
I would just say the city. I know the city like the back of my hand. I grew up there my whole life and I would just say the city, the views, some of the places I used to go eat and stuff like that.

How do you like living in Central Florida? Are there any local sights, whether the theme parks or great golf courses, that you’ve been able to take advantage of?
I really enjoy Central Florida. I think that the weather, the sunshine is always nice to have. [It] always uplifts you when you wake up and you see the sun’s out. As far as spots, I just moved out of downtown this summer, so I haven’t really found any spots close to where I live yet. But there’s a couple restaurants that I do like to go to in the Winter Park area and stuff like that. I like to enjoy myself and eat some good food. I think there’s a couple different places I like to go. I like Kabooki, I like AVA, that’s probably it right now.

I know that you have Italian ancestry on your father’s side and the family has a butcher business in Seattle that goes back decades. Do you have any culinary skills of your own?
No, I’m a terrible cook. … My dad did a lot of the cooking growing up [with] his family obviously owning the butcher business. And that was just a huge part of my childhood, because my early years growing up, the shop was two minutes right down the hill from my house in the middle of the city. Then when I was like 14 years old, they made a move to a more industrial area, a bigger space and that was just a big moment for my dad and his business. So, I kind of remember that being a critical time for him and my family—him, my uncles, my grandpa, all of them just working the business. I was there every day after school a lot of the time, just there with my dad. [It was cool to] get brought up in a family business where you just see how my dad and his brother and his dad have been able to build a successful business. It just shows me that family can help you in more ways than just emotional support or whatever.

How do you like the Italian food in Orlando?

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I actually haven’t been to any Italian restaurants in Orlando. I’ve had a couple of recommendations so I’m going to try to get some Italian in Orlando, but I haven’t yet.

What is a typical day off like for you? Do you like to spend time with your teammates since many of you are around the same age, or is it best to get a break from basketball?
[On a] typical off day I definitely try to get some rest. I don’t like sitting down all day, I try to either stretch, go in the pool, try and do something that gets the body moving a little bit. It stimulates the brain because I think when you just sit in the bed or sit on the couch all day then it kind of puts you in a little bit of a lull. So, I try to get out and do something outside maybe a little bit, just enjoy the weather. But yeah, I just like watching TV, movies, playing video games.

The Magic roster includes both you and Wendell Carter from Duke as well as Cole Anthony from North Carolina. Is there a lot of good-natured trash talk about the rivalry?
Oh yeah, all the time. Every year around the rivalry, me and Cole make a nice friendly wager. I just won, obviously, with Duke kicking UNC’s butt the other day. So, I’ve got bragging rights right now and it’s always fun. Cole always thinks that UNC is going to win and Duke usually wins, so it’s always fun.

Do you have a favorite NBA city to visit or opposing arena to play in?
I would say there’s some really good cities. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d probably say New York because I feel like I do a lot of shopping when I go to New York. I don’t do online shopping; I don’t really shop in Orlando, so when I go to New York I do a lot of shopping. Same with LA, [and] I do a lot of shopping in Miami [too], but I would say New York is probably my favorite just because I think that they have the best food, the best restaurants.

What are your long-term goals with basketball and do you envision staying close to the game even after your playing days are over?
That’s a good question. I definitely will probably stay close to the game; I don’t know if I would coach. I don’t think I would coach, but maybe I do camps or something. Or maybe I don’t. I’m not sure, I haven’t really thought about that. I feel like basketball has just been my whole life so once I get to the point down the road where I’m done with basketball in terms of playing, we’ll see how I feel. [We’ll] see if I want to continue to be around the game.