Olympics
Niall Seewang 8y

No. 1 NBA draft pick Ben Simmons backing Australia to medal

Olympic Sports

Australia can still win a medal at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro despite several key withdrawals, No. 1 NBA draft pick Ben Simmons believes.

The 19-year-old, who on Friday became the third Melbourne-born No.1 pick after Kyrie Irving (2011) and Andrew Bogut (2005), also said he would love to see an NBA game played in Australia.

Simmons has withdrawn from the Boomers' squad for Rio, with the Aussies also set to play without Utah Jazz's Dante Exum and possibly the injured Bogut.

But Simmons, who joined Philadelphia 76ers with the first pick of the draft, as expected, said he believed Australia could still push for a podium finish at Rio.

"Of course they can," Simmons said minutes after being drafted.

"They've got a good team and the players to win games - Patty [Mills], hopefully Bogut, 'Delly' [Matthew Dellavedova] - they've got a young team and as long as they play hard, anything can happen."

Speaking with journalists from his home town of Melbourne at a Cisco Telepresence, Simmons said he would love to one day play for the Boomers at an Olympics but his short-term focus was firmly set on making a strong start to his NBA career.

"I think for me right now, I need to focus on next season," he said. "It's a big step for me to go to the NBA as a rookie, but I look forward to playing in the Olympic Games, hopefully the next one."

NBA teams have played games in China, Japan, Mexico, England, the Philippines, Brazil and Germany, but never in Australia.

In May, NBL owner Larry Kestelman whipped Australian fans into a frenzy when he revealed that he had held positive discussions about bringing a game Down Under.

Dellavedova reacted by saying: "It would be huge, I think we could probably fill a football stadium to see (it)," he said. 

"It's a great opportunity to grow the game. If there could be a game there, it's something I'd love to be a part of." Scott Levy, the NBA's Asia managing director, hosed down speculation the league was set to host a game in Australia when he said "we don't have any plans to bring a game now and I don't think we'd be willing to put a timeframe on that right now", but Simmons said on Friday that he hoped the league would soon reconsider host a match in Australia.

"I want it to happen," Simmons said excitedly. "Definitely, I would love to go back and play back home.

"I think we should get that done, definitely. If I was a kid I'd definitely want to see some NBA players come to Australia, but no, that would be great."

Simmons learned during his press conference that fellow Aussie Thon Maker had been drafted at No. 10 by Milwaukee Bucks, and he said that two first-round picks from Australia showed the country's talent pool was growing.

"I haven't had much to do with him [Maker] but it's great to see Aussie kids go so well," he said.

"A lot of kids back home have more access to go to colleges in the states now, so I think the guys now playing in the NBA and Europe have broken down a lot of barriers for people back home."

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