Paolo Banchero diary: Those two months away were tough

ORLANDO – During an off day on Monday, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero sat comfortably in the backyard of his “forever home” on a rocking bench near his pool and jacuzzi with Lake Blanche in the background. The 2024 NBA All-Star’s favorite room in his house is a regulation 94-foot NBA hardwood floor with “BANCHERO COURT” inscribed on the sidelines. And if it weren’t for a push from fellow NBA star Kevin Durant, the face of the franchise for the Magic would likely still be residing in a downtown condominium instead.

“My first two years I was living close to the area, less than a mile, convenient,” Banchero told Andscape. “After my rookie season, I was hanging out with KD at his house. We were just chilling, playing video games and he just was like, ‘Man, I know you got the biggest house out there in Orlando. I know you living like a king.’ I was like, ‘Nah man, I’m living in a little condo downtown.’And he just looked at me, ‘What? What did you just say? What do you mean you don’t live in a house? You live in a condo?’

“And so, he was kind of taken back by that and he was like, ‘You’re the No 1 pick. The face the franchise. You got to live like it.’ So, after that, its kind changed my perspective a little bit. If Kevin Durant’s telling me this, maybe I should think about getting a house. So, my whole second year I was looking for a house and by the end of [2023] I was able to find one and move in during the summer. And here to start my third year, I’ve all moved in. And KD, he ain’t been here yet, but I look forward to showing him.”

The 2024 NBA All-Star averaged 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, including a 50-point outburst, before being sidelined with an oblique tear suffered Oct. 30. Since then, Magic forward Franz Wagner was also sidelined with an oblique injury and forward Mo Wagner was lost to a season-ending left knee injury.

Banchero returned to action on Jan. 10 against the Milwaukee Bucks, logging 34 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the 109-106 loss. Despite the injury, the Magic still have one of the NBA’s top records and Banchero still has All-Star aspirations after his two-month absence (Banchero was fourth in All-Star fan voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players as of Friday). Tonight, Banchero has a chance to make a statement on ESPN (7 p.m. ET) as the Magic visit the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

“You always get up to play the Celtics,” Banchero said. “They’ve been the best team in the East since I’ve been in NBA. Pretty much all three years they’ve been the [East’s] 1-seed. So, you always are up to play the Celtics. A loaded team. Obviously, they got Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum] leading the charge. But then you also got a bunch of great players, whether it’s Jrue [Holiday], Derrick White, [Kristaps] Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, a Northwest guy off the bench.

“And so, that’s a great challenge. And also playing in TD Garden is one of my favorite places to play. The fans there are always engaged and really loud. And we’ve had some close games there, too, where it’s been a pretty fun environment. So, I just look forward to going back to Boston, playing there and battling it out and hopefully getting a win.”

During the 2024-25 NBA season, Banchero is sharing insight into his life with the Magic in his monthly diary on Andscape. Draymond Green, Vince Carter, Trae Young, CJ McCollum, Fred VanVleet, De’Aaron Fox, Cade Cunningham, James Wiseman, Josh Jackson and, most recently, Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal, have participated in diaries.

Below is Banchero’s third diary entry from his new mansion in the Orlando area. As told to Andscape senior NBA writer Marc J. Spears, the former Duke star talks about his return to action after a long layoff, playing against Tatum and the Celtics, details of his new home, his NBA All-Star aspirations after injury, Franz Wagner’s injury, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and much more.

You got the lake behind me. Being from Seattle, I grew up always being on the lake. It’s something that I love to do, get out there in the water, peace of mind. It’s just a great neighborhood, great place to be a little way away from the downtown area. I’m able to have my own little peaceful home to spend time and just really relax. Sometimes I come outside and just listen to the sounds around me and it’s just nice and quiet, which is something that you don’t really get when you’re downtown.

Where I grew up in Seattle, I grew up a couple blocks away from Lake Washington. So, when I was younger, that’s how I would spend a lot of my free time, [I’d] just walk down to the lake. Me and my dad, when I was really young, we used to go to the beach where the were rocks and we would just skip rocks. I got a picture that he actually gifted to me with a nice message on the back. He has a picture of me and him when I was probably 3 years old and we’re just standing on the beach throwing rocks and skipping rocks. That was kind of our thing. As I kept growing up, that was kind of a staple for me and my siblings, and just family in general, was the lake. I have a view of the lake from my childhood home. So, something about when you see a lake out there definitely reminds you of back home and just kind of gives you that nostalgic feel. So, I just have to have that.

I ain’t gonna lie, [the basketball gym] is why I actually got the house. We still are going to change some of the walls in a couple weeks, put the new scoreboard in. But, yes, this is a full 94-foot NBA regulation court with my logo on the center. I really haven’t put much work in here yet because I was hurt. I just got here over the summer. But, this next summer, I’ll be spending a lot of hours, a lot of time in here, working on my craft. And then my [bedroom] is right up there, overlooking the court, with windows. So, I get that work in. They polished it and everything like a month and a half ago. It’s still really fresh…

Most houses where I’ve seen a court, they only got a half court, or you might have a smaller full court, but this is 94 feet. You got corner threes. We got NBA [3-point] lines. So, this is where I’m gonna be, man. It’s going to be the sanctuary. I’m gonna get the walls done too, I’m gonna get wallpaper on the walls with me on there and my mom on there. I’m gonna have like, Michael Jordan, LeBron [James], all the dudes that I grew up studying. So, this is what I’m most proud of right here: P5 Arena. Banchero Court. It’s a blessing.

Home ownership, it means a lot. I think I’m still learning what it means. A lot more responsibility. Having a house, you’re able to bring people into your home, you’re able to welcome them in. So, I’d have my grandma, she came down here for Christmas, spent the week with me. So, we were able to just sit in the house the whole week and she was just happy to be here. And she honestly was just amazed that this is my house and that she’s now spending nights at my house, which was what I used to do all the time growing up, go spend the night at her house.

So just stuff like that, having friends over, them getting to see just where I’m at, where I’m staying, and honestly for me it’s just a joy to walk through the door every day and just take a deep breath and see what your hard work gets you. My life moves really fast, playing basketball, being in the NBA. So, something like this, a house, I consider this a forever home. I look forward to just being here for my whole life and building a lot of memories here.

Yeah, those two months away were tough, but I think I did a really good job of just keeping my spirits high throughout — whether it was just being around the team, being around my family, friends, and keeping myself motivated with the work I was doing to get back onto the court. It was a new challenge for me every week, whether it was a certain lift I was going to have to do or a certain on-court workout where I was going to have to pass a certain test that the training staff had for me. I just did a good job of keeping my mind on the next thing and trying to focus on how I could get back on the court quickly as possible, but also making sure that I took the right amount of time and let my body heal properly.

The toughest part was just missing out on the competition, missing out on the games and being out there with your teammates. Obviously, they did a really good job of getting wins and playing at a high level. But as a competitor, you just want to be out there. For me, it was the longest injury I’ve had to deal with. So, just having to sit there and watch night after night, it allowed me to grow in some other areas, whether it was watching the game from the bench and helping teammates out, telling them what I see, [or] what I think they can do differently throughout the game. And also, just talking to the coaches’ staff too after every game on the road, different times, just picking their brains as well and seeing what they think…

Franz’s injury, it was tough for everyone. Obviously, toughest for him, but for me it was tough because he was playing so well and I think Franz is one of those players who doesn’t really get all the credit that he probably should. You really don’t really understand how good he is until you sit down and watch him. For him to be playing at such a high level and then go down with the same injury that I went down with, it’s kind of just gave me an eerie feeling. I kind of remember watching him in the game where he got hurt against Philly and I saw him grab him at his side and I started watching him from that point on late in the second half. And he looked really similar to how I was looking the Chicago game and just the way he was kind of grimacing and how he was moving gingerly, not really wanting to make any sudden explosive movements.

I kind of had a fear in the back of my head that it could have been the oblique, but I didn’t want to put that out in the air. Then I was doing a workout a day or two after we got back to Orlando and his brother Mo was in the gym shooting. His brother came up to me and told me Franz got an MRI and had the same thing as me. So, it messed me up a little bit. It messed everyone up on the team just because as the two best players, we do so much for the team — not only while we’re on the court playing, but just I think our presence being out there it’s something that can’t really be replicated. So, for him to go down with that same injury after playing so well, it just sucked for everybody. But I know Franz really well, and I know he’s taking everything with a grain of salt and he’s going to be back better.

Christmastime return [from injury] was what I initially was thinking. And then we got closer to Christmastime, it was like it will probably be at the first year of the year. January 5 was the game I had marked down to come back. And it came to that point and I was cleared, but Arnie [Arnie Kander, Magic vice president of player performance] still had a lot of things he still wanted to see from me. He had to tell me again, ‘That might be a little soon, but we’re getting close.’ And so, it just kept me always trying to work towards that next date.

So, when I got the news that January 10 was going to be the day I actually would come back against the Bucks, I was just really excited. It had been so long and I felt like I was doing such a good job of keeping my spirits high when I wasn’t playing. But honestly, I felt like it was starting to run out a little bit. I was starting to get just antsy a little frustrated with just not being out there. And so, for me to finally get out there, it was just pure joy. I didn’t really care how my body felt or what my conditioning was like. I was just happy to be out there. And when I made that first 3, I just kind of let out a bunch of emotion because it just felt so good to be out there and to make a shot, which is something that sounds crazy saying now. But going through this injury, it made me kind of appreciate just being out there on the court in front of the fans with my teammates and just getting that competition that I’ve been missing for so long.

I knew coming into this that I wasn’t just going to come back and be myself from the [start]. It’s still going to take a couple of games, so I came in with that mindset already. So, I try not to get too upset with myself. Too frustrated. [Sunday’s win over Philadelphia] was a huge example of that. I’m still getting my legs under me.

I’m excited to play on ESPN on Friday. Anytime we get to play on national TV, it’s a little more special. That’s when most of my family can tune and watch. Just turn on ESPN, watch the game. Not having to watch on the local networks or anything. So, I’m always going to be a little more excited for those and for it to be my first [nationally televised game of] the season, I’m definitely looking forward to it. And also, just it being against a great team like the Celtics, too, it should be a fun game.

J.T. [Tatum has] been just a dope kind of big brother to have really since I committed to Duke. [Duke] coach Jon Scheyer, he put us in contact my senior year of high school when I was getting ready to go to school. And from that point on, J.T. hit me and was like, ‘Anything you ever need, questions about anything, advice, whatever you want to work out, whatever it may be, just hit me.’ And so, from that point on we’ve been cool. I’ve hit him on about a lot of different things, whether it was my decision to sign with Jordan, my decision on what agency I wanted to sign with, asking him about how his first couple years in the league [went], what he learned, what are some of the things he would do differently. Just trying to pick his brain.

He’s NBA champ, MVP candidate for a reason. And so, he’s been one of my guys that I’ve always looked up to for a while. So, the fact now that I get to be an NBA and compete against him, it’s honestly surreal. And so, whenever we’re out there against each other, we’re not very friendly, we always go at it. But after the game it’s always love and respect. He brings the best out of me, and so it’s always fun to compete against him.

I would say the hope is still there to be an All-Star. Obviously, I missed so many games, so if I wasn’t going to be an All-Star, I kind of understand. With that being said, I think I am an All-Star, but that’s for the fans and the coaches to decide. I just want to get wins and put my team in the best position to advance in the postseason and hopefully have home court heading into the postseason. But if I was able to be All-Star, that’d be great. This year it’s on the West Coast, San Francisco. I got family in the Bay [Area]. So, I’m sure if I was to make it, I’d have a ton of friends and family out there supporting me, happy to be there. So yeah, it would be dope.

You got to kind of watch me play the rest of these games [before All-Star reserves are selected]. If you watch me play the rest of these games and you say, ‘Hey, he’s not an All-Star,’ that’s fine. But if you watch me play the rest of these games, you say, ‘Oh no, I think he’s an All-Star, then I should be an All-Star.’ So, I’m not trying to plead my case. Honestly, I think we should have two All-Stars. Now, injuries have other things to say about that, but I know for a fact we got two guys, me and Franz Wagner, who definitely deserve to be there and have played at that level to be there. And whether we make it or not, I’m sure it won’t affect us really in either way. But I think we’ve played well enough and we’re going to continue to play well enough that we should be there.

MLK Day has been a part of my life forever. One thing I always associate with MLK Day for me is basketball. I’ve always had MLK tournaments. Elementary school through AAU to high school, we’ve had MLK tournaments. So, whenever we’re celebrating Martin Luther King, I always feel like there should be some good basketball being played. We know what Martin Luther King did for not only our country, but for the world. Helping us progress in the right direction and help us love one another, no matter the color of our skin. You see that more than ever now in the NBA and all over. You got guys from all different backgrounds, races, religions, all in this one league, playing against each other, competing. Honestly, none of this would be possible if there wasn’t for Martin Luther King. So, it’s always an honor to celebrate this day and hopefully play some basketball.