Teen big man Karl-Anthony Towns has been chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, while Satnam Singh Bhamara has made history as the first India-born selection.
Towns averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots a game last season for a University of Kentucky squad that went unbeaten until losing to Wisconsin in the national college tournament semi-finals.
"This is what you live for," Towns said.
"I'm going to go in right away and be as versatile as I can be. I'm coming with a winning attitude.
"I'm not coming to look for individual success," he added.
"I'm coming to look for team success."
The Timberwolves, who won last month's NBA Draft Lottery to claim the top overall pick, have not reached the play-offs since 2004.
Bhamara, a 19-year-old centre from a small Punjab village, went 52nd overall to the Dallas Mavericks, the same NBA club that in 2001 made Wang Zhizhi the NBA's first Chinese player.
Bhamara, a 2.18m big man, became the first player in a decade taken after not playing for a US college or overseas pro team, instead hailing from the IMG Academy squad.
Likely bound for a developmental team to hone his skills, he follows in the footsteps of Canadian-born Sim Bhullar, who became the NBA's first player of Indian descent after playing for the Sacramento Kings in April.
Bhamara could open the door to the NBA into cricket-loving India much the way Yao Ming did for the league in China.
"I think I can open the door for everyone to come here and play so it's good for India and all the players, it is good for me and my country," Bhamara told the Washington Post earlier this year.
The Los Angeles Lakers landed Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell with the second pick while centre Jahlil Okafor was taken third by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who played for Sevilla last season, was selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks, whose host-city fans booed loudly when the choice was announced after already enduring a 17-65 season.
Porzingis became only the second player from his homeland to be taken in the draft and could become only the third Latvian to play in the NBA.
"It was my dream to play for the Knicks," he said.
"Hopefully I can be part of something special. These people don't know me, might think I'm soft, European, a bust. I'm different. It's my passion that sets me apart."
Australians Mitch McCarron and Hugh Greenwood - who are currently with the Emerging Boomers in China - were both overlooked.
McCarron, who was the Metro States Division II Player of the Year, was invited to a pre-draft workout with the Denver Nuggets while New Mexico graduate Greenwood received encouraging feedback from his tryout with the Utah Jazz.
Since Yao was taken first overall by Houston in 2002, there have been 19 international players taken with lottery-decided picks and none have become all-stars.
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