Inside NBA combine: LeBron James’ cameo, Sixers staffers on-site, and Flip Murray’s coaching aspirations

CHICAGO — Ronald “Flip” Murray lingered on the Wintrust Arena concourse Wednesday afternoon, discussing how he reconnected with colleagues while coaching prospects during scrimmages at the NBA draft combine.

And seemingly right on cue, LeBron James appeared to greet the longtime NBA journeyman from North Philly.

“I was watching that [expletive] yesterday,” said James, swiftly sneaking in to dap up his former teammate, “and I was like, ‘Is that is that Flip over there?!’”

» READ MORE: Bronny James is the main attraction at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. He wants to be more than ‘LeBron James’ son’

That scene captured the essence of combine week.

James was on-site to support his son, Bronny, whose performance (and potential landing spots) were the top mainstream storyline. LeBron’s presence added to an already-long list of prominent NBA figures — including the 76ers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand — who spent their days shuffling between the gym and the adjacent hotel connected by a sky bridge to evaluate those players and fall into impromptu conversations with their contemporaries. And even Murray — who is attempting to break into NBA coaching as part of the league’s Coaches Development Program — represents the proving-ground nature of the event.

As the week winds down, here are some lingering Sixers-related and Sixers-adjacent nuggets that peppered the happenings in Chicago.

Devin Carter looked at the leaderboard for the three-quarter-court sprint, then asked Ben Kenyon what he needed to do to add his name.

“I said, ‘Hey, man. Just get to top 5,’” Kenyon, the Sixers’ head strength and conditioning coach, recalled. “And he said, ‘Nah, I’m going to be No. 1.’”

Kenyon then watched Carter, a Providence guard and reigning Big East player of the year, set the combine record in the event, at 2.87 seconds. That was a highlight from Kenyon’s week helping prospects go through the performance testing portion of a hectic week.

“They’re still in the midst of chasing their dream,” Kenyon said. “This is a really awesome moment for them, so it’s really cool to kind of help them step into that moment.”

» READ MORE: Devin Carter’s experience and NBA pedigree could make him a fit for win-now Sixers

It was Kenyon’s second time assisting at the combine, an opportunity that typically is not possible when the Sixers advance past the playoffs’ first round. He focused on maintaining his high-energy approach with the players he had just met, cutting the tension in a high-pressure environment. Following Monday’s testing circuit, Kenyon moved to a series of educational sessions with fellow strength and conditioning coaches, along with athletic trainers and other staffers who work together to maximize player health and performance.

The week also brought the opportunity for Kenyon to collaborate with the Sixers’ front-office personnel scouting the prospects. Though those executives watch the on-court play and conduct formal interviews, Kenyon’s interactions could offer a more authentic glimpse into a player’s personality and work habits.

“The behind-the-scenes stuff is where the most valuable information comes from,” Kenyon said. “Because, on the good side, you can say, ‘Man, this dude right here was very positive, super excited, very intent to actually get things done at a high level. Or, man, this person over here, I get it he’s talented, but be careful.’”

Sixers superstar Joel Embiid and Indiana Pacers standout Pascal Siakam have proudly entrenched themselves as NBA players who hail from Cameroon.

Up next could be Ulrich Chomche, one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft class.

The 18-year-old big man is the group’s youngest eligible player, after participating in the NBA Academy Africa designed to continue growing the game on that continent. And though he is raw offensively, Ulrich already flashes immense potential as a shot-blocking interior defender. If he remains in the draft, he is projected to be taken somewhere between the middle of the first round and second round.

Though the combine scrimmages were not open to the public, league-produced features still ran on the video board during timeouts.

One followed Jalen Brunson’s combine experience in 2018, including footage of his vertical jump and other testing. It was a reminder that those raw numbers do not always directly project basketball success.

Back then, Brunson was the reigning national player of the year from Villanova but critiqued for his 6-foot-2 frame and presumed lack of athleticism. He slipped to the second round of the draft. Yet this spring, he has been one of the playoffs’ top performers, scoring 40 points in five of his 11 games to put the injury-riddled New York Knicks on the verge of the Eastern Conference finals.

» READ MORE: What makes Knicks star Jalen Brunson so special? ‘The magic is in the work.’

Another video segment was about Tyrese Maxey, who shared his “1% better every day” mantra. Highlighting the Sixers’ All-Star guard perhaps was a strange choice for this particular setting, considering there was no combine for him to partake in as a draft prospect during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But the feature also ran two days before he won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award.

Murray said he has been trying for three years to get into the NBA Coaches Development Program, which develops the next wave of staffers through educational sessions, networking opportunities, and on-court experience. So when the 44-year-old Strawberry Mansion High School product was invited this year, Murray “accepted it with open arms, immediately.”

Following a playing career in the NBA and overseas that spanned 12 years, Murray recently gained coaching experience at League Bound Academy in New Jersey. The Assistant Coach Program helped him learn the technology used by NBA staffs to cut film and create scouting reports.

And being at the combine brought back memories of his own experience there as a prospect, which helped him transition from Division II player of the year at Shaw University to a second-round draft pick. He reminded this year’s draft hopefuls that the team personnel watching them “already know what you can do. They already know who you are.”

“Go out and just be yourself, not try to do too much,” he told them.

And like those prospects, Murray hopes the combine becomes part of his journey to an NBA job.