Australia’s Dante Exum has been picked fifth overall by Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA Draft.
The 18-year-old was a high school student in Canberra until a year ago but is now set to become one of the highest paid Australian athletes in the world, with a two-year contract worth around A$5m a year.
Exum was born to American parents in Melbourne, where his father Cecil played for the Tigers and North Melbourne Giants but did not play college basketball in the US, meaning most NBA scouts had not seen him play in person.
"I'm just a kid from Melbourne, Australia," said Exum after he was picked. "I guess right now I just got drafted so I guess I'm not a mystery anymore."
Another foreign player, Canada’s Andrew Wiggins, was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Exum is not the first Australian picked in the first round of the Draft. Andrew Bogut, currently of the Golden State Warriors, was picked No1 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005. Bogut and Exum are now two of five Australians in the NBA, along with Patty Mills and Aron Baynes (San Antonio Spurs) and Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland Cavaliers).
Exum is known for his speed and played Aussie Rules growing up before his father encouraged him to concentrate on basketball. Exum has joked any AFL career would have been hampered by the fact that he can't kick.
