Former college football player turned businessman Mario Banchero is well known as the paternal grandfather of Orlando Magic power forward Paolo Banchero. Rhonda Smith Banchero, a former collegiate and WNBA basketball star, has been married to Mario for a very long period.
The Banchero patriarch, Mario, may currently be overshadowed by the young NBA star, Paolo, and the former university champion, Rhonda, but in the past, he also had quite a reputation as an athlete. Despite this, he made the decision to give up playing and is now occupied with taking care of his children and running a remarkably successful business.
Where Was Mario Banchero Born If He’s From Seattle, Washington?
Mario Banchero, Rhonda’s spouse and the father of Paolo Banchero, was born on April 16, 1974. Although it’s not entirely known where Banchero was actually born, he claims to have spent his formative years in Seattle, Washington. He has lived in the area for a very long time.
Mario rarely fails to praise and acknowledge his father on Facebook, but he has rarely mentioned his mother, who passed away in June 2017.
The majority of Mario’s ancestry is Italian. His ancestors originated in the northern region of the nation. Around 1900, his great-grandparents made the journey from Italy to the United States. They were farmers and coal miners in their own country, Black Diamond.
Mario Banchero, a native of Seattle, Washington, and his father. Facebook
But AD Banchero’s great-grandfather never received American citizenship. Paolo, Mario’s first child, was able to get Italian citizenship as a result. In February 2020, he acquired Italian citizenship.
Rhonda’s husband spoke about the circumstance and said,
Both Mario Banchero and Rhonda Smith Banchero were athletes at the University of Washington when they first met.
Rhonda was a senior at the time, and strangely, she and her future husband, Mario, grew up just a few blocks apart. Additionally, despite the fact that they went to the same school, they never ran across one another.
Rhonda Smith and Mario Banchero are a married couple and former University of Washington athletes.
Mario, a company owner in Seattle, and his wife of many years, Rhonda Smith. Facebook
Rhonda, Mario’s wife, was a champion basketball player, as was previously noted.
She participated in college basketball for the Washington Huskies women’s team. Rhonda actually had a good reputation for accomplishing multiple milestones among the coaches and viewers throughout her time on the show. Mario’s wife finished her college career with a total of 2,948 points and 803 rebounds.
After being selected in the third round of the WNBA draft in 2000, Rhonda played professionally in both the American Basketball League and abroad.
The wife of Banchero now devotes her time to working for the greater good after long leaving a career in professional athletics. Rhonda reportedly spends her time working for a charity that aids the needy. She simultaneously addresses mental disorders and addiction.
The history of Mario and Rhonda’s marriage began in the late 1990s. The most likely year was 1999, as Mario asked Rhonda to marry him in February of that year.
In his 20th wedding anniversary video, Mario said that he borrowed a few ideas from Fox’s humor TV program for the proposal. He claimed Martin, the star of the program, proposed to Gina in a way that inspired him. Mike was doing work around Green Lake in Seattle at the time. He anticipated using it as the setting for his marriage proposal to Rhonda.
Rhonda’s parents were anticipating meeting Mario and his parents the day he proposed to her. The Seattle native had to wait until dusk to join the conference nevertheless because he worked at Green Lake. After finishing his work, Mario made the decision to finally act by calling Rhonda at the lake.
The Washington native explained to the Husky Hall of Fame class of 2004 that his car wouldn’t start and that Rhonda would have to pick him up at the lake.
Also Read: Taylor Kitsch Doesn’t Have Time To Date Or Wed
