Home Daily Gossip Daily Gossip, Thursday 26/6/14 (NBA Draft edition)

Daily Gossip, Thursday 26/6/14 (NBA Draft edition)

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We purposely delayed the gossip column so that we could bring you coverage of the 2014 NBA Draft, as the anticipated debate of who would go to Cleveland with the first pick was decided.

WIGGINS PIPS PARKER TO FIRST PICK

Kansas Jayhawks’ Andrew Wiggins was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft with Duke Blue Devil’s Jabari Parker picked second to Milwaukee Bucks.

For the second straight year, the Cavs have picked a Canadian as its first round pick and Wiggins is hopeful to be an instant hit in Ohio. Something last year’s leading pick, Anthony Bennett was not.

“A thousand thoughts are going through my head right now,” Wiggins said. “It’s a dream come true.”

Parker was thought to be the most “NBA ready” player and will go to Milwaukee. The Duke star wasn’t bothered what number he was picked at, and is glad to be heading to Milwaukee as it’s a short drive to his family in Chicago.

“I’m just very optimistic,” Parker said. “If it was 1, 2, put me at 60, just getting that opportunity, getting that chance of being in the NBA.”

Philadelphia 76ers picked Wiggins’ Kansas team-mate Joel Embiid with the third pick.

SARIC LEADS EUROPEAN CLASS

Dario Saric, who recently signed a two-year deal with Anadolu Efes led the class of European players selected for the draft. The Croatian was picked at number 12 by Orlando Magic but traded to Phoenix Suns later on.

Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Jusuf Nurkic was picked at number 16 by the Denver Nuggets who got Chicago’s pick via a trade. Swiss international Clint Capela was chosen at number 25 by the Houston Rockets and Partizan’s Bogdan Bogdanovic was picked at 27 by the Suns.

Round two picks: Damien Inglis (Milwaukee Bucks at 31), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets at 41), Walter Taveres (Atlanta Hawks at 43), Thanasis Antetokoumpo (New York Knicks at 51), Vasilje Micic (Philadelphia 76ers at 52), Alessandro Gentile (Houston Rockets at 53) Nemanja Dangubic (Philadelphia 76ers at 54).

THE NBA SELECTS ISAIAH AUSTIN

Between the 15th and 16th pick, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did something that will never be forgotten.

Baylor’s Isaiah Austin was expected to be a guaranteed first round pick, but just days before the NBA Draft, Austin was diagnosed with a rare heart condition, which is called Marfan syndrome.

Silver, aware that Austin was in Brooklyn for the draft did this.

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