“Luka Doncic at the 2, Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 3, Nikola Jokic at the 5”: Paolo Banchero reveals his all-time European starting five headlining 3 former MVPs

#1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft Paolo Banchero recently listed out the players on his all-time European starting five.

NBA is one of the most talented leagues for any sport. Many all-time greats have graced the sport with their presence in the league. Numerous players have had a positive impact on the game, various stars have revolutionized how the sport is perceived and there have even been a few because of whom the league had to change the rules.

Over the course of the league, several fans and analysts have had a great yet heated time debating over the GOAT, all-time 5, and the Mt Rushmore list of the league. While the answers may differ from person to person, most enthusiasts have the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James on their list.

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However, Paolo Banchero was recently asked to mention a list similar to the ones mentioned –  his all-time European starting five.

“Tony Parker, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nikola Jokic”: Paolo Banchero

The rookie has been putting on a show for the Orlando Magic in the two summer league games he’s played. During this same time, the American-Italian was asked to reveal his all-time European starting five.

The former Duke Blue Devil instantly said:

“I got Tony Parker at the one. I got Luka at the two. Giannis at the three. Dirk at the four. And Jokic at the five.”

One might argue that the likes of Pau Gasol, Rudy Gobert, Toni Kukoc, and a few more are/were better players than Tony Parker. However, the SAS star was arguably the greatest at the point guard position from Europe, thus, explaining his inclusion on the list.

Surprisingly, there was no European player included in any of his two all-time lists – all-time top 5 players ( Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) & dream starting 5 (LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Hakeem Olajuwon).

With 3 of his European all-time starting five still very much active in the league, it’ll be interesting to see Banchero go head-to-head with these stars in the upcoming campaign.

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