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NBA star Paolo Banchero reveals 2028 Team USA Olympic plans as Orlando Magic playmaker appears at Fanatics Fest
Banchero also appeared on First Take at the NYC gathering
ORLANDO Magic rising star Paolo Banchero gave a simple answer to the possibility of playing for the 2028 Team USA Olympic team.
The 6-foot-10 NBA forward Banchero, 21, appeared at the Fanatics Fest in New York City on Friday.
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With the 2024 US basketball team winning the gold for the fifth straight time last weekend, Team USA National Team Managing Director Grant Hill has already focused on the 2028 squad.
The next Olympics will be in Los Angeles and fans will see new names on the future 12-member Team USA club.
The Athletic reported this week that USA basketball "wants to feature" the 2023 NBA No. 1 overall pick Panchero, who made the All-Star team last season.
The U.S. Sun caught up with Panchero at the Fanatics event, and he was asked about the possibility of being on the 2028 LA Olympics team.
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"That sounds nice," he said exclusively to The U.S. Sun.
"The Olympics in Los Angeles. That sounds (like) fun."
Banchero will be 25 years old in 2028 and he'll have time to add more to his impressive resume by the LA Olympic Games to make the squad.
He won the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award.
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In his second season with the Magic in 2023-24, Banchero was named to the All-Star team and averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
The Duke product helped lead Orlando to the No.5 seed in the Eastern Conference as they went on to lose to the Cleveland Cavalierse in the first round of the playoffs.
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Banchero has previous USA Basketball experience.
At the age of 20, he averaged 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game with the US in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Banchero wasn't done at the Fanatics event as he also appeared on ESPN's live broadcast of First Take.
The Seattle native opened up on the day the Magic drafted him with the first overall pick while alongside host Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith, and Chris "Mad Dog Russo."
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"Orlando took a chance on me when they drafted me, and I'm forever grateful for that," Banchero said.
"I'll always give them my respect and my love for that, because no one knew I was going to go No. 1.
"I didn't know I was going to go No. 1."
Banchero also believes the Magic will be among the top teams in the Eastern Conference next season.
"Man, we feel like we're right there," Banchero proclaimed.
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"We're right there with (Boston, Philadelphia, New York and others) ... We got better this year, I got better, all of us got better.
"We got some new pieces that's going to help a lot."