BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Philadelphia 76ers selected Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. with the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which took place on Tuesday, June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Philon Jr. is 20 years old. He measured 6-foot-2.5 without shoes and weighed 176 pounds at the NBA draft combine. During his sophomore season at Alabama, Philon Jr. averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He also averaged 1.2 steals per game.

Philon Jr. shot 50.1 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three-point range on 6.2 attempts per game during his sophomore season. He attempted 6.0 free throws per game, making 79.8 percent. His usage rate increased from 20.9 percent as a freshman to 30.0 percent as a sophomore. He earned third-team All-American honors.

During his freshman season, Philon Jr. attempted 3.2 three-pointers per game, shooting 31.5 percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged 2.0 free throw attempts per game as a freshman. He played alongside Mark Sears during his freshman year at Alabama, and Sears entered the NBA after that season.

The 76ers acquired the No. 22 pick in a February trade in which Jared McCain was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team also received a 2027 second-round pick and two 2028 second-round picks in the trade. This selection marks the first draft pick during Mike Gansey's tenure as president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers.

"I mean, it felt good. Me and my family just in there, waiting on my name to be called. It's all about patience, really," Philon Jr. said. "It's not about the pick (number), it's about the fit. I feel like Philly is a great place for me." He added, "I would just say, just watching a lot of basketball, me personally, I feel like being selected by Philly, it's destined. Just because they got two good guards, and I feel like I fit in with those guards, and playing at that fast pace, and at that level of basketball."

The 76ers finished the previous season with a 45-37 record. They lost to the New York Knicks in four games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Nick Nurse is the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. "I would just say the ability to play on and off the ball, make the game easy for others around you. I feel like I did that at a high level, and then just being able to play with that unselfishness, and just being able to score what you need to, being able to pass the ball, and like I said, having that mentality to do it on both sides of the ball," Philon Jr. said. "I would just say going back to the usage was definitely like important in these, because the first year playing with another great guard with Mark Sears, and then like the second year, me being a lead guard, it kind of helped me being able to adapt in any situation and adapting at the guard spot. So, like I said, I was just working on my shooting for sure, just being able to space, make the game easy for your teammates, really on the perimeter."