Tyrese Proctor tipped to be Australia’s next big thing in the NBA

At just 18, Aussie basketballer Tyrese Proctor has his sights on joining the likes of Ben Simmons and Patty Mills.

Australia’s NBA production line is set to deliver yet again, with teenager Tyrese Proctor tipped to be our next basketball star in the world’s best league.

The 18-year-old is hoping to lead his college team Duke to a national championship in this month’s March Madness tournament before chasing his dream in the NBA.

Top scouts believe Proctor is well placed to follow Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels – who he trained with at Canberra’s NBA Global Academy – into the league via the draft this year or next year.

Giddey is on a salary of around $10m a year, after signing a four-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills are on similar salaries with their respective franchises.

“My goal in the end is to get to the NBA,” Proctor said.

Proctor’s Duke Blue Devils are chasing a college basketball national championship this month. Picture: Isaiah Vazquez (Getty Images)

“I don’t really pay attention to all those mock drafts – I’m just trying to get better every day. Whether it’s one year (at Duke), whether it’s two, three or four, I’m willing to put in the work and do whatever it takes to get to my final goal.”

The 195cm guard is also keen to play a key role in Australia’s national team, having helped the Boomers win last year’s Asia Cup.

Proctor keeps an Australian flag and a stash of Tim Tams and Caramello Koalas in his dorm room.

Proctor with his family as a junior player in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

“I’m glad I got that opportunity and I can’t wait for the future,” he said.

Proctor grew up in Sydney and played soccer and baseball as well as basketball with his father Roderick, who also played at the college level in the US.

“He didn’t really force it, but we were always in the gym together, and we both loved it,” he said.

Tyrese Proctor is set to follow Patty Mills and Ben Simmons into the NBA. Picture: Getty

Proctor spent his junior career with the Sutherland Sharks while studying at Trinity Grammar School, before moving to the NBA Global Academy.

Coach Marty Clarke ranked him alongside Giddey and Daniels, who were chosen in the first round of the NBA draft in successive years, enabling Proctor to learn from their rapid rise.

“He was actually meant to be here again (last year), but we got to that point of how can we keep challenging Tyrese,” Clarke said.

Proctor fast-tracked his entry into college with Duke, one of the most famous teams in the game, saying the “family-based atmosphere” appealed to him and his parents as he moved overseas.

“That’s a big thing for your mental health, especially as you go through the ups and downs in the season,” he said.

Luc Longley was the first Aussie to crack the NBA.

With an Australian flag and a stash of Tim Tams and Caramello Koalas in his room, Proctor has kept in touch with home, as well as tapping into the “pretty special” network of Aussies in the NBA including Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and ex-Duke player Jack White.

While Proctor said he “struggled a little bit to get into the groove” last year as he adjusted to the physicality of the college game, his play has improved markedly in recent weeks as Duke chases another national title.

Proctor in action for the Boomers in July last year. Picture: Gettt

The team takes on arch rival North Carolina on Sunday (AEDT) before the postseason begins.

“Everyone wants to win and we’re really trying to get to a ‘natty’ this year,” Proctor said.

The Australian, who turns 19 on April 1, will then have to decide whether to chase his NBA dream this year or spend another season at Duke.

Originally published as Tyrese Proctor tipped to be Australia’s next big thing in the NBA