Australia's NBL has received a glowing endorsement with American 19-year-old Terrance Ferguson selected by Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21st pick of the NBA Draft.
Oklahoma-born Ferguson shocked US basketball when he opted not to take up one of many scholarship offers from elite American college programs.
He instead made the trailblazing decision to turn professional and play a season with Adelaide 36ers in the NBL.
"The Oklahoma City Thunder select Terrance Ferguson from Dallas Texas and the Adelaide 36ers in Australia," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told the large crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and millions of more TV viewers watching around the world.
Australia will now compete with Europe for elite American high school stars who want to skip the mandatory one year of amateur basketball at a US college and instead earn money with a one-year deal overseas.
Ferguson said he has been contacted by some players contemplating an NBL stint.
"Although he only shot 38 per cent down there (in Australia), those of us who have seen him a lot know he can shoot it," ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said on the network's draft broadcast.
Fraschilla described Ferguson as being potentially the ultimate three-point shooting and defensive-minded guard.
"If you want 3-and-D, you want to build that program going forward around Russell Westbrook, you've added a kid who can really shoot it," Fraschilla said.
Australia's three NBA Draft hopefuls, Jonah Bolden, Isaac Humphries and Mangok Mathiang, were not among the first-round selections.
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