Instead, the 25-year-old guard went into the PBA Draft Combine and made history. Banchero topped all five biometrics test, becoming the first participant ever to do so since the Draft Combine was launched nearly two decades ago.
But for Banchero, it was just another day in the office.
“These coaches, they know my abilities, they’ve seen me play before. I’ve been playing in Asia for the past three years so I don’t think I surprised them with anything. I trained hard so I think I’ve put out a good showing,” he told BuhayBasket.
Banchero has made a name for himself playing point guard at the Asean Basketball League (ABL) and the PBA D-League, where he was picked first overall.
For the 2014 PBA Draft, however, another name is being floated around as the top pick: Stanley Pringle.
At the Draft Combine, the 6-foot-1 Banchero made sure that GlobalPort will have second thoughts come draft day. The second pick of the draft goes to Rain or Shine.
“I just want to go to a team that wants me. I want to go to a team that needs me and thinks I can make an impact right away,” he said.
Banchero believes he is ready for the PBA now, and he talks about “making teammates better,” “running a team,” and “winning” like he was doing it all his life.
“I played college basketball in America, which I believe made me ready for the PBA. It’s very physical, so I think that prepared me well for it,” Banchero said.
“I’ve always grown up to be able to run a team, because at the end of the day, winning championships and making your teammates better is the biggest thing,” he added.