Paolo Banchero reveals his classmates at Duke tried to secretly RECORD him during class

Former Duke Star Paolo Banchero has compared life in Durham to being treated like a ‘zoo animal’ as he recounted being recorded in class and having people show up at his dorm room unannounced.

Banchero played just one season at Duke and like other highly-recruited basketball players who came before him, he was a celebrity on campus.

The forward averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils before declaring for the NBA Draft, but it’s clear his brief time in college made a lasting impression with him. 

 ‘It was way different. In high school, you’re highly ranked but everyone’s known you since you were – you grew up there, so no one looks at you like this big superstar,’ he told the ‘Young Person Basketball Podcast with RJ Hampton.’   

‘They treated you like you was royalty there if you were on the basketball team.’  

‘It was almost like they treat you like – and I love Duke – but sometimes it [felt] like you were a zoo animal or something… in class you’d see them over there whispering about you, staring at you. 

I done caught people trying to record me… classmates would start bringing their families to my dorm.’

Paolo Banchero played just one season at Duke but was impressive enough to go No. 1 overall

Banchero made sure to note that ‘it was a good experience’ at Duke and he ‘definitely enjoyed’ his time there, though it was ultimately just a stepping stone to the NBA.

He was selected No. 1 overall in this year’s draft by the Orlando Magic and has taken to NBA life extremely well.

The 19-year-old is averaging 24 points per game in his first five games with Orlando, becoming the first player to debut with at least 25 points, five assists, and five rebounds since LeBron James in 2003.