The NBA Draft Combine is underway, running through Sunday in Chicago. And if any draft prospects are trending, chances are they either dazzled during drills and workouts or they disappointed.
Unfortunately for Johni Broome, his name was a popular topic Thursday because of a vertical jump that was less than impressive. The Auburn star recorded a standing vertical leap of 24.5 inches during testing drills.
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By comparison, projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg notched a standing vertical jump of 35.5 inches. VJ Edgecombe, ranked fourth on Yahoo Sports’ NBA Draft big board, topped that with a 38.5 inch jump.
Several detractors on social media also pointed out that Broome’s standing vertical was less than massive Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson, who weighs 464 pounds, who jumped 25 inches at the NFL Combine. (Watson went undrafted and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent.)
However, perhaps the meanest response came from, of all places, language learning platform Duolingo. The app’s social media account quote-tweeted a video of Broome’s vertical jump and wrote “Learn Chinese and try Super Duolingo today!”
Many NBA fans got the reference, which alluded to a popular meme that originated in 2022. A graphic circulating on social media features a fake quote from NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying, “Get ready to learn Chinese, buddy,” as a warning to players whose behavior was a league issue or who were playing so badly they’d soon have to go overseas to play professional basketball.
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Broome, 6-foot-10, is projected as a late second-round pick in Kevin O’Connor’s mock draft for Yahoo Sports. He’s also rated as the No. 45 player on O’Connor’s big board.
Broome was one of the best players in college basketball last season and earned consideration for the Naismith National Player of the Year award that eventually went to Flagg. He averaged 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, leading Auburn to a 32-6 record and a Final Four berth in the NCAA tournament.
However, Broome’s athleticism was a concern for draft analysts and those vertical-leap numbers didn’t change that perception. Between that and questions about his shooting skills (he shot 28% on 3-pointers last season), he will likely be selected in the draft’s second round, if at all. As the Duolingo post joked, Broome could have an interesting basketball journey.
Ian Casselberry
