Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Paolo Banchero’s Welcome To The NBA Moment Came Courtesy Of Kevin Durant

This year’s overall number one draft pick Paolo Banchero has immediately left his mark in the NBA and is establishing himself as the firm favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award.

So far, Banchero has averaged 21.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists and has proven to be a versatile player on both ends of the floor.

But since even All-Stars and Olympic Gold winners had their ‘welcome to the league’ moments, where a veteran showed them as a rookie that they’re not in college anymore, Banchero has also already had his.

During his appearance on JJ Redick’s ‘The Old Man And The Three’ Podcast, Banchero revealed that guarding Kevin Durant was his welcome to the NBA moment, because there was nothing he could do to stop him.

“Playing against KD was kinda my little welcome to the NBA moment. I guarded him for most of the game, and it was really just nothing you could do… KD was straight business. He wasn’t saying nothing to the refs, was going to the line… I think he only had like four, five free throws, but he had 45. So most of those was buckets. I think he missed five shots that game, and just experiencing that, having to guard him… he was the first player I think I’ve guarded in my life where it was like ‘there’s nothing I could do’.”