How Melbourne teen Johnny Furphy made his NBA dreams come true
Melbourne teenager Johnny Furphy has revealed the secrets to realising his childhood dream in being drafted to the NBA, but says his plans for the future are to “keep things simple”.
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Australia’s latest sporting superstar has vowed to stay grounded and keep family close after realising a childhood dream in being drafted to the NBA.
Former Maribyrnong Sports College student Johnny Furphy, 19, was on Friday drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 35th pick, after his new team swung a trade for the selection with the San Antonio Spurs.
He was the fifth pick in the second round overall and while it was a more complicated route to the NBA than most expected, his dream has been realised all the same.
He joins Victorians Josh Giddey, Dante Exum and Dyson Daniels in the world’s most rich and famous basketball league.
After missing selection in the first round of the Draft on Thursday — and a minimum $3 million first year salary — Furphy became the 12th Australian in the most famous basketball league on earth.
In an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun, Furphy said money was never the goal and proceeds of his first pay cheque would not follow a clichéd route of luxury cars or designer clothes.
“I think definitely spending money to get my family to come out and be able to travel back and forth would be super important,’’ he said.
“That’s the only real thing I’ve thought about.
“I haven’t really had my heart set on anything.
“I’m just trying to keep it simple.”
It’s that attitude Furphy’s former state coach Ash Arnott said makes the former Collingwood, Bulleen and Hawthorn basketballer something special.
“Mate he’s an amazing person. I can’t understate what a good person he is and that all comes down to his family,’’ he said.
“Hopefully he’s going to be around the league for a long time and he’s going to be a phenomenal role model for these young kids coming through, not only how to play but how to act.
“And that’s really important.”
Furphy’s proud family was in the room in Brooklyn to see his name called a day later than most expected.
Dad Richard, mum Liza Alpers, brother Joe and daughter Holly were all smiles as Furphy strode to the stage, having designed a jacket that paid homage to other trailblazing Aussies drafted in the NBA before him.
Unable to even play on an indoor court as he was locked down like other Victorians for the best part of two years during Covid, Furphy said backyard battles with his older brother Joe — a rookie listed Geelong ruckman — were key to his meteoric rise.
“Especially being five years older than me, and a lot bigger than me, that’s where I learnt to play against bigger bodies,’’ he said.
“Because he would use that to his advantage and he really wouldn’t let me win much.”
Despite playing basketball – and footy for Fitzroy — from a young age, Furphy did not make a Victorian team until he was 17 and even then it was the state B team.
Then undersized, he flew under the radar as a junior.
But a late growth spurt and selection in Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Canberra caught the eye of US talent scouts and he won a scholarship to the University of Kansas.
After just a year in college, his size, spot up shooting and grit was enough for a tilt at the NBA.
Furphy said taking risks and making the most of opportunities had helped but so had his competitive edge.
“Hard at the ball,’’ he said.
“It comes from footy growing up, just that competitive nature.”
Richard Furphy said dreams of making the NBA had filled his son’s heart and head for as long as he could remember.
“He was always pretty clear in what he wanted to do,’’ he said.
“He knew from a really young age that he wanted to go to college.
“He’s worked really hard to get to where he is now.’’
Furphy had been considered a consensus first round pick by NBA experts and was one of 23 players invited to the “green room’’ for the draft in a move that typical points towards early selection.
After missing a guaranteed multimillion payday for first round status, second round draftees negotiate contracts independently with their teams.
mailto:peter.rolfe@news.com.au
Originally published as How Melbourne teen Johnny Furphy made his NBA dreams come true
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