ORLANDO – Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been selected to participate in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 16 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as part of NBA All-Star 2024. TNT will televise the annual showcase of premier young talent at 9 p.m. ET.
The first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year, Banchero has played and started in all 47 games this season for Orlando, averaging a team-high 23.0 ppg., a team-high 7.0 rpg., a team-high 5.0 apg. and 1.02 stlpg. in a team-high 34.9 minpg. He ranks among NBA leaders in scoring (T-24th), rebounding (T-35th) and minutes played (T-22nd). Banchero has led (or tied) the Magic in scoring 25 times, in rebounding 14 times and in assists 21 times. He has scored in double figures 45 times, 20+ points 31 times, 30+ points eight times and 40+ points twice, including a career-high 43 points on Jan. 3 @ Sacramento. Banchero was also named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 26, 2023.
The player pool for Panini Rising Stars consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year NBA players and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams (Tuesday, Feb. 6, 4 p.m. on the NBA App). The seven NBA G League players, selected by the league office, will comprise the fourth team.
13 players have previously represented the Orlando Magic during the Rising Stars game. Past participants include: Anfernee Hardaway (1994), Mike Miller (2001, 2002), Dwight Howard (2005, 2006), Jameer Nelson (2006 out with injury), Andrew Nicholson (2013), Nikola Vučević (2013), Victor Oladipo (2014, 2015), Elfrid Payton (2015, 2016), Mario Hezonja (2016), Cole Anthony (2022), Jalen Suggs (2022), Franz Wagner (2022, 2023) and Paolo Banchero (2023).
