Australian teen Josh Giddey's NBA imagination has go a reality, selected sixth wide by the Oklahoma City Thunder successful the NBA draft.
Giddey, 18, was named NBL Rookie of the Year past play and volition marque much than $5 cardinal successful his archetypal twelvemonth successful the league having secured a spot successful the apical 10 picks.
The Aussie volition articulation a squad with plentifulness of younker and could signifier a beardown operation with rising prima Shai Gilgeous-Alexander successful the back-court and was was branded the champion passer successful this year's Draft.
Giddey becomes the archetypal subordinate from the NBA Global Academy, based astatine the Australian Institute of Sport, to go a first-round pick.
It was wide thought the Australian would spell to the Golden State Warriors oregon Memphis Grizzlies but Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti pulled the trigger.
"First it's a imagination travel existent truthful to beryllium taken by the Thunder and to person them privation maine connected their squad it makes maine consciousness truly peculiar and I couldn't beryllium happier," Giddey told reporters aft being drafted.
"The pre-draft process was good. Oklahoma is really 1 of my favourite teams and to beryllium picked by them it's a imagination travel true. So, emotion the guys, the coaches, the unit connected the squad and truly blessed to beryllium there.
"I was talking to Sam [Presti] and the remainder of the unit and coaches and worldly similar that and conscionable the mode they talked and told maine astir however they privation to assistance their programme and the absorption they're headed in, it was thing I wanted to beryllium a portion of,"
Giddey averaged 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.1 steals for the Adelaider 36ers successful the NBL past season.
He joins an elite database of Aussie players successful Luc Longley, Ben Simmons, Dante Exum, Thon Maker and Andrew Bogut to beryllium selected wrong the apical 10.
"To travel connected from the guys we person had spell done the NBA, it means a batch to maine and I looked up to those guys for a agelong clip and I talk to them and effort and get proposal from them and I was watching them connected TV, I'm large fans of theirs," helium added.
"Even 2 years agone I was watching their highlights and trying to get them to reply to my Instagram messages and each that stuff. So, pursuing successful their footsteps being drafted successful the NBA, it's truly special.
"The Australian hoops assemblage is truly tight. So, to person those guys by my broadside and supporting maine done this full process has been truly bully for me."
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