I always remember Coach K: “You have to have good women in your life. Those are the 3 women I have a lot of respect for”

“Behind every great man is a great woman”. The old saying rings true for Paolo Banchero, who has been a revelation in the NBA since being the first overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Orlando Magic.

Paolo Banchero’s superb start to life in the NBA

The power forward was the first player since LeBron James to record at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists on his NBA debut, and became the second teenager in NBA history, after James, to register at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game. That led to him being named NBA Rookie of the Year at the end of his first season in the league.

In 2023/24. Banchero helped the Magic finish first in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. The 22-year-old was named to the All-Star Game for the first time, although Orlando were then beaten in the first round of the postseason.

This year, the Magic have work to do to qualify for the playoffs, although Banchero has continued to impress, despite having to deal with a torn oblique, which sidelined him for more than two months.

In October, he became only the fourth player in the franchise’s history to score at least 50 points in a game, and just the third to put up multiple games with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

During his spell on the sidelines, Banchero began a diary series with Andscape, in which he offers fans precious insight into the life of an NBA star, and details personal experiences that have helped shape his career to date.

Magic star Banchero discusses friends' and female support

In its most recent edition, the Seattle-born youngster spoke of the support he receives from his two closest friends, and also from the female influences his life.

Banchero reveals that the importance of having “good women” around him was stressed to him during his time playing for the Blue Devils at Duke University, where he was coached by former Team USA head Mike Krzyzewski.

“One thing I remember ‘Coach K’ [Krzyzewski] told me when I was at Duke was that, ‘You got to have good women in your life. You want to listen to the women in your life’."

As you might expect, several of Ranchero’s family members have had a big influence on him. “When I think of my mom, my grandmother, my auntie, those are all three people, three women that I really respect. And I take their opinions with a lot of value”.

But the Magic star is also full of praise for Nicole Beatty, his trusted manager who helps him with off-the-court matters and is always on hand to offer advice.

Banchero: “I take the stuff she says really seriously”

“Nicole is my manager, but I think she’s a lot more than that. Me and her are talking pretty much every day. She just keeps me up to date on anything I got going on. And over the course of us building that relationship, I think we became really great friends and partners where I feel like I can go to her for advice, getting her opinion on certain things.

“She’s really smart and I take the stuff she says really seriously. She’s a woman who I really respect and I listened to”.

Whatever Banchero has been doing, he would be wise to keep it going. Still in the early stages of his career at only 22, there’s plenty left for him to achieve in the NBA, and the women in his life will be there to help him every step of the way.

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