Jahlil Okafor was taken by the Philadelphia 76ers as the No.3 overall pick in the draft. (Photo : REUTERS)
Jahlil Okafor said he's not disappointed that he fell to No. 3 pick with the Philadelphia 76ers and that he's living his NBA dream.
Okafor, a Duke freshman, was widely projected to be taken by the Los Angeles Lakers at No.2.
He eventually turned out to be the third straight "franchise changing" lottery big man for the 76ers after Nerlens Noel in 2013 and Joel Embiid in 2014.
Okafor added that he was excited about joining the 76ers and wasn't going to worry about how the team utilizes the three of them.
He noted that it's not his job to figure that out and he would rather just work hard.
Observers say that with Noel having been moved to power forward and Embiid's immediate future still uncertain after a setback on his recovery from right foot stress fracture, the center position is not that crowded.
Drafting Okafor is looked upon as an insurance in case Embiid's foot problem continues.
Besides, 76ers General Manager Sam Hinkie had maintained that they will take the best available player regardless of position.
The 76ers were in search for someone with NBA all-star potential to serve as the team's cornerstone leading to the draft.
They were said to be torn between Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell and Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis, expecting the Lakers to take Okafor with the No. 2 pick.
A league executive noted that the 76ers have so much needs to fill.
They badly need a point guard after trading former rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams to the
Milwaukee Bucks for his inability to shoot.
The Cameroonian Embiid, who missed the entire last season due to injury, texted Okafor the night before the draft that he will see him in Philly.
Okafor said after he was drafted that Embiid "kind of jinxed" him.
The two met while on a recruiting trip to Kansas when Okafor was a high school senior at Chicago's Whitney Young High School.
