Italian basketball head slams Rookie of the Year for 'betrayal'

Banchero, last year's Rookie of the Year, was born in Seattle, but his father's ancestry got him dual Italian citizenship in 2020. While Banchero had never played for the national team, he'd expressed interest in playing for Italy last fall. Former Golden State Warriors Nico Mannion, who was born in Siena, Italy, was optimistic about playing with Banchero.

"He seems to be a good person," Mannion told BasketNews. He was texting me and told me he was excited to come. He wants to come, it's just about finding the right time."

Banchero never did find the right time. After Banchero announced he was playing for Team USA, Gianni Petrucci, president of the Italian Basketball Federation, decided that Banchero was not a good person.

"It was a legitimate decision, but he could have made a call to communicate that to us. Instead, we learned about his decision from the newspapers," Petrucci told an Italian newspaper. "Betrayal, especially in basketball, is a strong word. Situations like this happen, and personally, I'm used to it. But he fooled us, we were planning a great commercial strategy for him."

The Orlando Magic star will have to rely on the commercial strategy of Team USA when they start play August 26 in Manila.

Another European basketball power also got disappointing news when No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama announced he would not participate in the World Cup in order to prepare for his rookie season.

"I’ve never been able to enjoy a summer with several months of development for my body," Wembanyama told a French newspaper. "For this new phase of my life, it’s essential. The Spurs staff are ready to make this summer profitable."

Wembanyama still plans to play for Les Bleus at the 2024 Paris Olympics, so French fans need not worry that the big man has "betrayed" them.