2016 NBA Draft live: Ben Simmons, Thon Maker futures revealed

THE Philadelphia 76ers have selected Ben Simmons with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, while Thon Maker has also been picked in the first round. Follow live!

2016 NBA Draft.

AUSTRALIAN Ben Simmons has realised a dream after being selected by Philadelphia 76ers with pick No.1 in the NBA Draft.

The Melbourne rising star has been the consensus top pick for a long time and now it is official.

He becomes the second Australian No.1 draft selection; following in the footsteps of Andrew Bogut in 2005.

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And in a huge boost for Australian basketball, Sudanese-born Thon Maker was also selected in the first round, selected with pick 10 by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Aussie was an unknown quantity on draft day, his hopes somewhat thrown in the air after reports some clubs were unsure of his age heading into the draft.

However Simmons remained the headline act on draft day, consolidating his repuation as one of the best young talents on the planet.

“It’s amazing, I’m happy the 76es chose me,” Simmons said.

“I’ve been working so hard towards and I can’t wait to get me to Philly.

“I feel relaxed and comfortable with the system and I can’t wait to start.

Die-hard 76ers fans in the stadium cheered “we want Ben” and “we want Simmons” as they awaited first pick.

Fans from more than 215 countries and territories tune in for the Draft, screened live as prime time viewing in the US, as a new generation of sporting millionaires in born.

Simmons, 19, will pocket a first year salary of more than $6.6 million (AUS) and be billed a franchise player after being taken with the first selection.

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BRUTAL ADVICE THE SIMMONS FAMILY RECEIVED

Looks like @BenSimmons25 might know something 🤔 (via @JClarkCSN) pic.twitter.com/ACyoF8Jmir

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 23, 2016

Simmons follows in the footsteps of fellow Australian Andrew Bogut, who was the top pick in 2005.

Emmanuel Malou, Venky Jois, Anthony Drmic, and Majok Deng are other Australians with an outside chance of being chosen with a late second round pick.

Follow along with the live blog below for updates from the 2016 NBA Draft.