Five things to know about Johni Broome, who brings experience, and is familiar with being the villain
The power forward/center played five seasons of college hoops, starting at Morehead State then three years at Auburn, and he played "anti-hero" in this year's NCAA tournament.
The Sixers picked Auburn power forward/center Johni Broome at No. 35 overall on Thursday, their second and final selection in the NBA draft.
Here are five things to know about the newest member of the Sixers:
He started his college career at Morehead State
Before becoming one of the nation’s best college players at Auburn, Broome played his first two years at Morehead State, in Kentucky. (Not-so-fun fact: the alma mater of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms.) In 2021, as a freshman, Broome led the team to its first Ohio Valley tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years. He posted 27 points and 12 rebounds in the Ohio Valley final and was named tournament MVP.
He has a lot of college experience
Broome is one of an increasingly rare group of draft prospects to complete his college eligibility. Broome played five years of basketball, starting with two seasons at Morehead State and then three at Auburn. This season, Broome was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and won the Karl Malone Award and the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award, in addition to being named a consensus first-team All-American.
He’s familiar with being the villain
Auburn was not exactly well-loved in the SEC. Broome and the Tigers embraced their “anti-hero” identity as they finished first in the standings of a conference that sent 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament. He’ll definitely get a taste of that energy from fans (both home and on the road) in Philadelphia, but Broome has always had confidence.
“I always had that chip on my shoulder, that edge. Growing up, I just had the utmost confidence, because where I’m from, you’ve got to have confidence or you’re gonna get eaten alive,” Broome told SLAM. “I just grew up and I took it wherever it went with me. I went to college, my mindset was to kill whatever was in front of me. And that just carries on today, because the person I’m playing probably had more exposure, had more offers than me. So each and every night I go in looking to dominate.”
He has the stamp of approval from a fellow Auburn (and Sixers) legend
Did Broome overtake Sixers Hall of Famer Charles Barkley as the best player in Auburn history?
“What he’s done for the program, him and coach [Bruce] Pearl and those guys, has been incredible,” Barkley said during this past season. “But if they could win a national championship, listen man, it’d be great. If he’s able to win a championship, I’d say he’s the greatest player in Auburn history. … He’s better than me in college.”
Ultimately, Broome and the Tigers lost in this year’s Final Four (to eventual champion and fellow SEC school Florida), but Barkley still offered his words of wisdom and support, giving him a big hug on the court and thanking him for everything he gave to Auburn.
He started as a football player
Broome came from a family of defensive ends. His dad, brother, and cousin all played football, and were built like edge rushers. While Broome grew far taller — 6-foot-10 — than anyone in the family, he was also much skinnier.
“He wasn’t looking like a 280-pound defensive end,” Broome’s dad told Yahoo! Sports. “He was shaped like a basketball player.”
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Bonus: How to pronounce Johni
His name isn’t pronounced like Johnny — it’s pronounced juh-NEYE. Broome’s dad’s name is John, and Broome told ESPN’s Jay Bilas that his parents decided to add the “I” on the end when he was born, instead of just calling him John, to give him a name that was more unique, with more personality.
“My husband is John Sr., and my oldest son is John Jr., and when we had Johni, when we knew we was having my second son, we wanted our kids’ names to be unique, ... just have their own personality, have their own name, let it be something that you’re not one of many,” Broome’s mother told the Montgomery Advertiser. “With that comes character and strength, so we decided, after a couple of different options, it was going to be Johni.”
The family calls itself the “J.A.B Five” because they all have the same initials, J.A.B. Broome picked jersey No. 4 in part because he’s the fourth member of his family, as the middle of three siblings.