Johni Broome is a great basketball player, a superstar at Auburn who deservedly was chosen in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He is not a great jumper.
Broome can be a solid NBA contributor without strong leaping ability, but it's worth noting.
In fact, Broome's vertical leap is worse than that of Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie defensive tackle Desmond Watson, who was 464 pounds when he made his superior jump.
Watson is down to the 430s now, but at his Florida Pro Day at 464, he vertical leaped 25 inches.
At the NBA Combine, Broome jumped 24.5 inches.
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Broome measures at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds. Watson is 6-foot-6 and over 400.
Could we get that matchup on the low block, please?
Broome's skill and effort more than overcame his leaping ability in the best conference in college basketball, the SEC.
In the NBA, with superior athletes around every corner, it may be tougher for that to hold true. But Broome will be doing his best to prove that vertical athleticism isn't everything.
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