Paolo Banchero Names Kyrie, Jayson Tatum, Zion, JJ Redick in All-Time Duke Starting 5

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero would not place himself on the all-time starting lineup for Duke basketball.

Instead Banchero would go with a top five highlighted by Dallas Mavericks veteran Kyrie Irving and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, he said Friday on ESPN's First Take.

"I've gotten asked this question a couple of times, I always say I don't like to put myself in it because there's so many legends," Banchero told Stephen A. Smith.

"I would have to say Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, J.J. Redick, and at the center, I think I'd go Jahlil Okafor. I think he won a championship as the best player as a freshman. I watched that live and direct."

Smith told Banchero that he couldn't put together a Duke all-time starting five without including Christian Laettner or Grant Hill.

"That's fair," Banchero responded. "I'm going off of what I saw with my own two [eyes]. I watched Zion, I watched Tatum, I watched Jahlil, I watched Kyrie. JJ was around us my year at Duke and he helped us and obviously he's a Duke legend, so I threw him in there."

Banchero started for Duke during the 2021-22 campaign, averaging 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game to help the Blue Devils make it to the national semifinals.

Redick, who became the program's all-time leading scorer while playing for Duke from 2002 to 2006, was apparently still present around the school during Banchero's tenure.

Even before arriving in Durham, it sounds like Banchero was watching Irving for play for the Blue Devils during the 2010-11 season, followed by Okafor in 2014-15, Tatum in 2016-17 and Williamson in 2018-19.

Laettner, who played for Duke from 1988 to 1992, and Hill, who was with the program from 1990 to 1994, both completed their college careers before Banchero was born, so it makes sense that the 21-year-old would build his all-time starting five using players he watched growing up.

Banchero, who has earned a Rookie of the Year award and All-Star nomination in his two NBA seasons since leaving Duke, will look to take another step forward in his third season as a pro when the Magic's 2024-25 season tips off on Oct. 23 against the Miami Heat.