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Ben Simmons selected with pick No. 1 by Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Draft

BEN Simmons has been taken No.1 in the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers on a momentous day for Australia with Thon Maker also drafted with a top 10 pick.

Nick Smart and Peter Rolfe
3 min read
June 24, 2016 - 5:49PM
LSU's Ben Simmons poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the top pick by the Philadelphia 76ers
LSU's Ben Simmons poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the top pick by the Philadelphia 76ers

AUSTRALIAN Ben Simmons has declared himself ready to take on of the best of the best after being taken at pick No.1 in the NBA Draft.

The Melbourne rising star has long been considered the consensus No.1 pick and the Brett Brown-coached Philadelphia 76ers made it official.

He is the second Australian No.1 NBA draft pick, following in the footsteps of Andrew Bogut in 2005.

NBA DRAFT LIVE

SIMMONS HAS RIDICULOUS SKILLSET

SIMMONS CONTINUES GOLDEN RUN FOR AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL

Cleveland star Kyrie Irving – the top selection in 2011 – was also born in Melbourne, but he moved to the US at a young age and considers himself American.

Long-suffering 76ers fans chanted “we want Ben’’ and “we want Simmons’’ as they awaited the first pick at the Barclays Centre in New York.

He was then cheered wildly when selected and presented on stage alongside NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Ben Simmons with Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft
Ben Simmons with Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft

“I’ve made history ... not just for myself, but for Australian basketball,” Simmons said.

“It is a weight off my shoulders honestly, and I’m relieved and happy to be a part of the organisation.

“I assumed I was going to go there because of my workout (with them before the draft), but I still didn’t know until they called my name.

“It was one of those things where it is up in the air and they took awhile to make their pick, but I’m really excited.”

Thon Maker with Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks
Thon Maker with Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks

Simmons will next week move to Philadelphia to join a team that has endured plenty of hardship over the past few years.

The pressure will be on for him to be the saviour, even though he it is widely accepted it’ll take him at least a few seasons to mature.

The teenager is said to have put on 9kg of muscle over the past few months to lift his 208cm frame to 109kg in a bid to prepare himself for his rookie season.

“I think I can make an impact,” he said.

“I think I’ll be fine; I’ve put on a lot of weight on.

“I’ll get bruises and bumps but that comes with it.

“I’ll be a rookie so it’ll all be a new experience for me.”

In what is sure to help his transition to the NBA, Simmons will be coached by a man he is known his entire life.

Remarkably, Brown was an assistant coach at Melbourne Tigers when Simmons’ dad Dave was an import for that team.

Simmons jerseys on the 76ers site
Simmons jerseys on the 76ers site
Simmons shirts on the NBA site
Simmons shirts on the NBA site

Brown told US reporters he had no hesitation in selecting Simmons.

“It was a decision we were comfortable with and personally I look forward to coaching him,” Brown said.

“When you look at what Ben brings to the table in regards to size, skill, and versatility, it is exciting and goes to a new level to me.”

Simmons said he looked forward to working with the former Australian Boomers coach.

“I think that relationship there is special in its own way,” he said.

“He’s a great person and a great coach.”

BEN SIMMONS

Born in Melbourne on July 20, 1996

Age: 19

Height: 208cm

Weight: 109kg

Junior clubs: Keilor Thunder, Knox Raiders, Beverley Hills Junior Football Club (Aussie rules)

High Schools: Box Hill Secondary College, Montverde Academy (US)

College: Louisiana State University (LSU)

FOLLOWING IN SOME MAJOR FOOTSTEPS

- Simmons is the 76ers first No1 pick since two-time NBA MVP Allen Iverson (1996)

- Simmons is the first No.1 pick from LSU since 4x NBA Champion and 15 X All-Star Shaquille O’Neal

- Simmons is Australia’s second No.1 draft pick after Andrew Bogut (2005)

HOW IT WENT DOWN

The NBA draft top 10

1. Philadelphia - Ben Simmons (Australia), forward, Louisiana State University

2. Los Angeles Lakers - Brandon Ingram, guard, Duke

3. Boston (From Brooklyn) - Jaylen Brown, forward, California

4. Phoenix - Dragan Bender (Croatia), forward, Ironi Ramat Gan (Israel)

5. Minnesota - Kris Dunn, guard, Providence

6. New Orleans - Buddy Hield (Bahamas), guard, Oklahoma

7. Denver (From New York) - Jamal Murray (Canada), guard, Kentucky

8. Sacramento - Marquese Chriss, forward, Washington

9. Toronto (From Denver via New York) - Jakob Poeltl (Austria), centre, Utah

10. Milwaukee - Thon Maker (Australia), forward, Canada Athlete Institute

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/basketball/ben-simmons-selected-with-pick-no-1-by-philadelphia-76ers-in-the-nba-draft/news-story/a7e7b63d0a46590508a42e66b54e3c0f