Paolo Banchero details how Coach K prepared him for life in the NBA while at Duke

Paolo Banchero became the fifth player coached by Mike Krzyzewski to be drafted No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft last week, and the now-retired former Duke head coach made sure to leave his final top prospect with some lasting advice.

“There’s no not going to be any handouts, no matter what you’ve done in the past or what your reputation is,” Banchero said of Coach K’s advice about life in the NBA. “at Duke, I had to earn everything it wasn’t handed anything.

“Just heading into this new stage … no matter what pick you are, you’ve gotta come in and and take what you want – you’re not going to be handed anything at this level. That’s probably the best advice I’ve been given.”

He was basically forced into a NBA experience from first very first game – at Madison Square Garden against the Kentucky Wildcats. Banchero led Duke to a victory that night, and the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Seattle native would then go on to start all 39 games for the Blue Devils as a freshman.

Banchero scored 17.2 points per game in 33 minutes with a 47.8% hit rate from the field. Posting 7.8 boards per game, Banchero was just a couple of rebounds shy of averaging a double-double, which he notched on 12 occasions.

When Banchero declared for the 2022 NBA Draft after just one year at Duke, it was clear he would be a top-five overall selection. It wasn’t until the morning before the draft the odds in Vegas shifted toward the Magic selecting the former Duke star – something Coach K wanted Banchero to take in stride.

“Before the draft, he was telling me to just be be calm, you know, enjoy it, take it all in,” Banchero said. “So far after the draft he sent me a congratulations, told me he’s proud of me. But we haven’t really had too much of a conversation as far as advice goes yet, but he’s just expressed how proud he is of me, and how excited he is for me.”

Now, Krzyzewski can sit back in retirement and enjoy the presumed (based on draft status) long and successful career Banchero is set to have in Orlando, and wherever his career may take him after that.