Magic's Paolo Banchero first since LeBron with 25-5-5 in debut

DETROIT — Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero collected 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists in his NBA debut on Wednesday night, a 113-109 loss to the Detroit Pistons, making him the first rookie with 25-5-5 in his debut since LeBron James in 2003.

«It means a lot, I guess,» Banchero said after the game. «Obviously, would have liked to win, but I just wanted to play hard, play for the team and that happened, so it's a blessing.»

Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, made an impact on this contest right away. He scored Orlando's first four points of the game and finished the first quarter 3-for-3 on field goals for seven points. He was even better in the fourth quarter as Orlando tried to mount a comeback, going 5-for-8 for 13 points, including a ferocious one-handed dunk over Pistons guard Cory Joseph, who attempted to draw a charge.

Overall, Banchero scored the most points by a Magic player in their first career game in team history, outscoring former players such as Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard — all of whom scored 12 points in their first career game.

«It's crazy,» Banchero said. «I felt like I left a lot of points on the board.»

«Credit to my teammates for finding me. It's always nice to see the ball get in that early, get easy buckets around the rim. That's how I try to play, inside out. Try to get easy stuff around the basket and expand out and do more stuff throughout the game.»

Before boarding the flight from Orlando to Detroit, Banchero said he tried to reflect in the moment before his first official NBA game to not allow himself to get caught up during Wednesday's action. This matchup between the Pistons and Magic featured a collection of former top draft picks, including