Former NBA No. 1 pick Banyani: Garnett made me suffer, he is the best defender I have ever faced

Recently, former NBA No. 1 pick Banyani talked about the best defenders he encountered, the best teammates and the pressure to enter the NBA league as the No. 1 pick.

Baniani believes that Garnett is the best defender he has met in the NBA. He said: "Garnett is definitely a legend, and undoubtedly the best defender I have ever played against. As a top offensive player, I have never feared any defender. To be honest, I almost never care about who is on the sidelines. Good or bad performance depends on myself, not the defender. But Garnett's defense has indeed made me suffer. He is the only defender who really affects my game rhythm."

Baniani also talked about fighting side by side with Anthony, and said: "It's great to partner with Melon. He and Bosh are the only two true superstars I have worked with in my career. Melon may be better in terms of fame and strength. This experience highlights the key difference between the NBA and the European League: Europe does not have super giants of this level. Being able to meet players at this level day and night The training in the same field made me truly realize what a superstar is, which is a completely different dimension. Of course, the pressure that comes with it is also extraordinary. "

Baniani also talked about being selected by the Raptors as the No. 1 pick, and he said: "I didn't even know what the NBA draft was. When I was eight or nine years old, playing in the NBA was a far-reaching dream. In that era, Italian children didn't even dare to have such dreams, after all, no compatriots could make a name for themselves in the NBA. My dream at that time was to play for European giants like Barcelona, Real Madrid or Panasinacos. So to be honest, I didn't really feel the so-called first pick pressure. "

Baniani joined the Raptors as the No. 1 pick, and was selected for the NBA All-Rookie Team for the first team in the 2006-07 season. However, at the beginning of the 2011-12 season, Banyani's upward momentum came to an abrupt end due to frequent injuries, and his appearances dropped sharply, and he eventually left the NBA in July 2016.