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NBA Commissioner David Stern (left) shakes hands with Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams, who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday in New York.

(Kathy Willens | The Associated Press)

New York -- The Philadelphia 76ers chose former Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams on Thursday night, making the 21-year-old point guard the 11th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft.

Carter-Williams hugged his agent and members of his family before slipping on a Sixers cap and strolling to the stage to shake the hand of NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Philadelphia selected Carter-Williams after trading its point guard, Jrue Holiday, for Nerlens Noel, who slipped to New Orleans at No. 6.



"They're getting a kid that's going to bring a positive attitude to the team,'' Carter-Williams told Shane Battier, the Miami Heat player who was working the draft for ESPN. "(I'll) practice hard every day.''

Philadelphia's pick of Carter-Williams at No. 11 gives Syracuse four lottery picks in the last five years. Jonny Flynn went to Minnesota with the No. 6 pick in 2009. Minnesota also took Wes Johnson with the No. 4 pick in 2010. Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers took Dion Waiters with the No. 4 pick.

The only other Syracuse player selected in the first round by Philadelphia was Leo Rautins, who went to the 76ers with the No. 17 pick in the 1983 draft.

The Sixers' selection of Carter-Williams paired him with his former AAU teammate and good friend Noel, once thought to be the top pick in the draft. Carter-Williams said he was thrilled to be united with Noel and privileged to play with him for an NBA franchise.

He told reporters on Wednesday that he knew Noel "before the flat-top." The two played together for two or three years on the AAU circuit, Carter-Williams said. They visited in the green room before the draft and posed for photos together.

"I'm really excited," Carter-Williams said. "Me and Nerlens grew up together. We're best friends. We played on the same AAU team in high school. It's like a dream come true. We always talked about how we were both going to make it to the NBA. For us to end up on the same team is a blessing."

A trade sent Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans for Noel, who was selected with the No. 6 overall pick. Along with Noel, the Pelicans will send the Sixers a 2014 first-round pick, according to multiple news outlets.

Holiday, considered one of the top young point guards in the NBA, averaged 17.7 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds for the Sixers last season. His departure opens the door for Carter-Williams, who seemed eager to breeze through the threshold.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself and Philadelphia has a lot of confidence in me," Carter-Williams said. "I'm going to go out there and play my best. I'm just going to go out there and perform every night like I can."

Philadelphia is a notoriously fickle sports town, a city that loves its pro franchises. Carter-Williams will be replacing a proven young point guard on a team destined to rebuild its franchise. The Sixers finished four games out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot this season.

"There is some pressure there. No doubt about it," Carter-Williams said. "But I'm going to use it as motivation and just work hard every day to try to get better and better.

"I've been dealing with a lot of pressure coming from Syracuse and having the ball in my hands my sophomore year after a bunch of guys left. And it was my job to lead the team. It's not the exact situation, but it's a similar situation. I'm just going to do my best."

Carter-Williams followed C.J. McCollum to the NBA Draft interview room. As he sat in his appointed chair, the moderator welcomed him as "C.J." Reporters in the room chuckled when Carter-Williams smiled and said, "I'm Mike. But thanks."

That kind of levity was rare when the draft began.

The festivities started with a jolt. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who owned the first pick in the draft, selected Anthony Bennett of UNLV, prompting surprise cheers at the Barclays Center and a satisfied fist-pump from Bennett.

Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams (front left) shares a laugh with Kentucky's Nerlens Noel (center) and Lehigh's C.J. McCollum before the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday in New York. Carter-Williams and Noel will be teammates with the Philadelphia 76ers.

After much speculation about which of the top three point guards would go first, Michigan's Trey Burke won that distinction when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him at No. 9, then moved him to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng. McCollum, a workout partner this summer of Carter-Williams, went with the next pick at No. 10 to Portland.

After Bennett, the picks proceeded like this: 2, Victor Oladipo (Indiana) to Orlando, Otto Porter (Georgetown) to Washington, No. 4 Cody Zeller (Indiana) to Charlotte, No. 5 Alex Len (Maryland) to Phoenix, No. 6 Nerlens Noel (Kentucky) to New Orleans, No. 7, No. 7 Ben McLemore (Kansas) to Sacramento, No. 8 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Detroit, No. 9 Burke to Minnesota, No. 10 McCollum (Lehigh) to Portland, then Carter-Williams to Philadelphia.

The selection capped an anxious afternoon and evening for Carter-Williams.

Carter-Williams was like most kids with basketball acumen. He dreamed about the NBA Draft, the stroll he would take from the green room to the stage, where Commissioner Stern would look him in the eye, shake his hand and welcome him to the world's best basketball league.

But in those fantasies, Carter-Williams admitted he never truly knew how the situation would play out. He never truly understood the magnitude of the moment.

"It's going to be a lot different from what I ever imagined," he said. "The feeling is probably going to be indescribable."

He talked on Wednesday about enjoying the moment, of savoring the attention, the glamour, the ambiance that surrounds the draft. He had no idea, he said, how much the process swallowed participants. He seemed thrilled, he seemed excited. And he admitted he would be nervous.

In the Barclays Center Thursday night, Carter-Williams sat with his mother, Mandy Carter-Zegarowski, his stepfather, his dad and his stepmother. His agent accompanied the family. For all the conversation Wednesday about his attire, Carter-Williams wore a slim, pale blue-gray suit, complete with white shirt and patterned tie. Striped socks were his concession to flair.



"I do think he's nervous," his mother said before the proceedings officially began. "Whatever team chooses him is where he's going to live for the next couple years, so that's a big change. I think he's hopeful. He has a lot of faith that he can play hard and do his job."

The family bought 60 tickets for friends and family to attend the Draft at the Barclays Center and stay in New York City. Carter-Williams worked out for Phoenix twice. He visited Sacramento, Detroit, Dallas, Utah and New Orleans. He had no idea, he said, which team might select him.

"It's a huge honor," Mandy Carter-Zegarowski said. "This is what he's worked for. And it's great that he's here."