Philadelphia 76ers select Alabama guard Labaron Philon with 22nd pick in 2026 NBA Draft
The 6-foot-4 guard, who averaged 22 points per game in his sophomore season, was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, ending a three-year gap for Alabama draft picks.
The Philadelphia 76ers have selected Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. The selection, made on Tuesday, brings Philon to the professional ranks and marks the first time an Alabama player has been drafted into the NBA since Noah Clowney was selected in 2023.
Philon, a 6-foot-4 guard from Mobile, Alabama, established himself as a primary starter for the Crimson Tide during his collegiate career. In his sophomore season, he appeared in 33 games, averaging 22 points, five assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. His shooting efficiency included a 50.1 per cent field goal rate and a 39.9 per cent success rate from three-point range.
The draft selection concludes a period of absence for Alabama in the first round, a drought that began after Noah Clowney was taken with the 21st overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets in 2023. That same draft class also saw Brandon Miller selected second overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Philon’s entry into the league restores Alabama’s presence in the NBA draft after a three-year interval.
Philon’s path to the NBA involved a notable shift in his collegiate trajectory. He initially signed with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023 but requested a release from his National Letter of Intent. He subsequently committed to Alabama in April 2024, having been ranked as the No. 32 overall recruit in the class of 2024 by both ESPN and 247Sports. Before his sophomore year, Philon had declared for the draft following his freshman season but withdrew to return to Tuscaloosa.
The 2026 NBA Draft featured significant activity among top-tier programmes, with the Memphis Grizzlies selecting Duke’s Cameron Boozer third overall and the Chicago Bulls choosing North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson fourth. This pairing marked the first time since 1989 that Tobacco Road rivals Duke and UNC both secured top-five picks in the same draft.
