Phoenix Suns select Deandre Ayton as No. 1 pick in NBA Draft
Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton speaks to reporters during a media availability with the top basketball prospects in the NBA Draft, Wednesday, June 20, 2018, in New York.
Mary Altaffer / AP
NEW YORK — Only eight years after playing basketball for the first time, Deandre Ayton is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
The Phoenix Suns made the long-expected move official on Thursday night, taking the Arizona center with the top overall pick. He’s the first Arizona player to go No. 1 in the draft; Mike Bibby was No. 2 in 1998 and Derrick Williams was No. 2 in 2011.
It’s history for Ayton, and history for his homeland as well.
Ayton is just the second player born in the Bahamas to go No. 1, joining Mychal Thompson — the top pick in the 1978 draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 7-foot-1 Ayton, who didn’t start playing basketball until he was 12, averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in his lone college season. He’s the ninth consecutive one-and-done player to be taken No. 1 overall.
How to watch the NBA Draft
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
- TV: ESPN | NBA TV
- Free stream: CBS Sports HQ will bring you live coverage throughout the NBA Draft with up-to-the-minute pick-by-pick analysis, on-site reporting and draftee interviews. Tune in at CBSSportsHQ.com!
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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