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Twitterati Bite Back at F1 Pundit as #1 NBA Draft Pick Brings Back Bitter Patrick Mahomes Memory

Published 06/24/2022, 5:26 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

It was quite an eventful inaugural Miami Grand Prix in May this season. The circuit was full of celebrities from many fields, like sports and entertainment. One of the people who attended the race and was also on the grid was Paolo Banchero, No.1 pick in the NBA draft.

He was having a grand old time when former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle decided to have a chat with him. Brundle was in the middle of his infamous Grid Walk and spotted the rising star- who, unbeknownst to Brundle, will end up playing for Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA season.

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“This is crazy. I’ve never been to an F1 race, so this is spectacular. You can see they’re locked in. It reminds me of myself,” said Banchero to Martin. As the conversation went on, one thing was starting to become clear.

Alas, he did not recognize him and kept referring to him as NFL star Patrick Mahomes to the audience. The Duke Basketball star laughed the incident off on Twitter, and his doppelgänger joined in as well.

Paolo Banchero Cements his name with his latest achievement

By being the No.1 pick in the NBA Draft, Banchero has become the next big superstar in waiting for the sport. He will garner a lot of eyeballs when the new 2022-23 NBA championship season begins.

Banchero revealed that he is very much looking forward to the new season and will give his best to Magic. “I plan on bringing everything I have to Orlando. First off, just a winning mindset, a work-first mindset.

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Just ready to get in with the guys and get to work. This is one of the best moments of my life. I’m super excited,” said Banchero.

 

Brundle apologizes to Patrick Mahomes and NBA Draft pick No.1 Paolo Banchero

In his column, after the race for Sky Sports, the pundit mentions that he often gets confused doing grid works before the race. He apologized to both the Kansas City Chiefs QB and Banchero, confessing that there were many people there.

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“The grid was incredibly busy pre-race too, and my sincere apologies to Patrick Mahomes and Paolo Banchero for the confusion,” wrote Brundle.

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We could forgive the Brit for not knowing who Banchero is, as USA college basketball is not popular in the UK. But it is nice to see that the confusion got resolved quickly afterward with an apology from Brundle. Yet we would remember it as one of the funniest moments of the pre-race grid walk, uniting NFL, NBA, and F1 in a commotion of laughter.

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Written by:

Devang Chauhan

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Devang Chauhan is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has a keen eye for writing engaging and detailed articles on F1. Previously a writer for Sports Social's 'Chase Your Sport' Magazine, Devang has been an ardent follower of the sport for over a decade and has attended two editions of the Indian Grand Prix.
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Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh