Orlando Needs Paolo Banchero: The Superstar Magic Fans Can Trust

“I love it here man, I love it.” Paolo is learning what much of the northeast has learned in this largely transient community. ”I tell people all the time, my first two years, living downtown, didn’t really leave downtown, just went back and forth from here to the gym. I think in the last year or so, I’ve been really able to get myself settled in here, get more comfortable.”

It helps that new rules in the NBA make it easier for teams to re-sign their own superstars. A new deal for Banchero would come in somewhere between $235 and $265 million dollars over five years, over $50 million more than he could get somewhere else. Don’t discount what his teammates, his organization, and you the fans mean to our young superstar. “This is a place that I love spending time here, my family loves spending time here, and I couldn’t be more happy to be a part of the Orlando Magic” Paolo candidly told me after the team’s first round playoff exit. “Look forward to hopefully spending a lot more years here.”

Even with a smaller midweek turnout, the Ruckus makes its presence known, singing loudly on the 3 block walk. At the intersection of Church and Glenn, multiple smoke bombs are lit, and the chanting gets louder. Sam Atkinson isn’t looking to get arrested, but he admits he wants to push the edge: “As close to European hooliganism as you can be and still be legal.” The Godfather, Dan Conlee, encourages his group. “Just be as loud and obnoxious as possible, that’s our goal without causing a police helicopter to descend on the stadium. Otherwise, we are good.”