Ever since Team USA drew Italy as their quarterfinal opponent in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, all eyes turned to Paolo Banchero. The young Orlando Magic star raised some eyebrows before the tournament when he ultimately opted to turn down an opportunity to lead Italy during the tournament to play with the Americans instead, which made this encounter with Italy all the more interesting.

The game itself, which saw Team USA dominate on their way to a 100-63 victory, wasn't all that interesting, but what was interesting was seeing Banchero go up against the team he decided to not play with. Banchero had a solid outing for America (8 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 4/8 FGM), and after the game, he opened up on what it was like to go up against the Italians.

Paolo Banchero's decision to not play for Italy hasn't exactly made him a popular figure with their fans, but it's great to see that the team itself didn't hold any ill will towards the young forward. Banchero had his reasons for deciding to not play for Italy, and while many folks will likely be upset to see him and his squad bounce their country from the tournament, there's no sense to continually pester him for his decision.

Based on how Team USA is still in the tournament, and Italy is not anymore, Banchero likely made the right decision when it comes to his quest to win some hardware. Could that have been different had Banchero opted to suit up for Italy instead, though? Maybe, but what's in the past is in the past, and it's obvious here that Banchero relished playing against Italy to move onto the semifinal round.