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    Paolo Banchero, LeBron James and the best NBA debuts of all time

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    When the Orlando Magic played the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday to start their season, all eyes were on Paolo Banchero. Despite Orlando’s 113-109 defeat, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draught made an outstanding first impression.

    The former Duke Blue Devil scored 27 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, had 5 assists, had 2 blocks, and beat Cory Joseph with a thunderous and-1 slam dunk:

    Even though it was only Banchero’s first NBA game, he has made history. The Magic rookie made NBA history by being the first player since LeBron James to open his career with at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists. After the game, Banchero told Bleacher Report that having numbers close to James’ “means a lot.” In his first game as a pro in 2003, The King recorded 25 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and four steals.

    Not bad for launching a career beside a future Hall of Famer, four-time Most Valuable Player, and NBA champion. However, other players had even better performances than Banchero and James had in their debuts.

    Here are the top five NBA debuts of all time, from titans to role players.

    5. Brandon Jennings

    Brandon Jennings shocked the NCAA by forgoing college and becoming pro in Italy, and the Milwaukee Bucks selected him in the lottery that year. The majority of fans still recall his 55-point effort in just his seventh league game, but he had already made a significant impact earlier in the year.

    Jennings finished with 17 points, 9 assists, and 9 rebounds in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was on the verge of becoming just the second NBA rookie to ever post a triple-double. In 82 games as a starter, the guard averaged 15.5 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals, earning him a spot on the All-Rookie First-Team.

    Jennings’ first run of games will always be remembered, despite the fact that his NBA career tailed off when he departed Milwaukee. Before retiring in 2018, he had brief runs in several leagues and abroad.

    4. Lamar Odom

    Lamar Odom began his NBA career with the other Los Angeles team, however most people only remember him from his time with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Odom, the fourth overall choice in the 1999 NBA, had a significant double-double in his Clippers debut.

    The Rhode Island native finished the game against the Seattle SuperSonics with 30 points and 12 rebounds. In addition, he recorded two blocks, two steals, and three assists. Odom’s debut caused considerable buzz throughout the NBA despite the Clippers’ 104–92 loss:

    Odom finished the 1999–2000 season averaging 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, earning him a spot on the All–Rookie First Team. Before retiring as a result of injuries and off-court concerns, he would go on to win two championships with the Lakers and be honoured with the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2011.

    3. Oscar Robertson

    Oscar Robertson established his reputation with the Cincinnati Royals before joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the court for the Milwaukee Bucks and taking home a championship in 1971. In just his second NBA season, he began his 12-game streak of All-Star berths and won his lone MVP Award with the team in 1964.

    However, Robertson had already begun to display his talent the year before. The point guard made NBA history in 1960 by being the first player to ever record a triple-double in their first game. He outscored the Lakers 140-123 while adding 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

    The tone for Robertson’s career would be set in that game. The only NBA legend to average a triple-double in a season before Russell Westbrook. Prior to Westbrook’s career-high 181 triple-doubles, which came over 40 years after Robertson’s retirement, he was also the league leader in that category.

    2. Wilt Chamberlain

    Wilt Chamberlain, one of the best basketball players ever, set numerous records during the course of his playing career. The centre had one of the finest scoring averages in sports history, averaging 50.4 points per game throughout a season.

    Chamberlain was so dominant that he established a record in his debut NBA game that has never been surpassed. He recorded the most number of points ever in a debut when he scored 43 in a game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1959. He pulled down an amazing 28 rebounds as well.

    If blocks were counted in the NBA at the time, his statistics might be much more impressive. Even basketball greats like LeBron James and Michael Jordan have never come close to matching his 43 points.

    1. Michael Carter-Williams

    Selected No. 10 in the 2013 NBA Draft, Michael Carter-Williams started his career as a starting point guard on a rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers team. The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, were the defending back-to-back champions, so all eyes were on his debut.

    In an upset 114-110 win, Carter-Williams put up 22 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and nine steals, the latter being the most in a debut. Not only did the Sixers shock the world by defeating the Heat, but Carter-Williams almost recorded a quadruple-double in his first game as a pro:

    He would end up winning Rookie of the Year later that season before becoming a journeyman in the NBA. While the best season of his career was his first, Carter-Williams wrote his name in the history books. Despite legends such as Robertson and Chamberlain having great starts, Carter-Williams takes the crown for the best NBA debut of all time.

    The postPaolo Banchero, LeBron James and the best NBA debuts of all timeappeared first onClutchPoints.

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