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Matt Babcock reflects on his experiences at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in this episode. He shares personal stories from his early days as a volunteer, his transition to a sports agent, and his current role as an NBA draft analyst and scout.
Transcript from The Matt Babcock Show: NBA Draft Combine, May 17, 2023
Matt Babcock: "So, I'm currently in Chicago, Illinois, for the NBA Draft Combine, and as always, I'm excited to be here. The thing is, I've been coming to the Combine for a very long time. So today, I will tell you about some of my most memorable times.
“I'm Matt Babcock, and this is The Matt Babcock Show.
"Some of my best memories from the NBA Draft Combine were when I was in high school and college in the early 2000s and worked as a volunteer. I remember rebounding for players while they warmed up, wiping sweat off the floor during live play, and assisting NBA trainers in measuring the players and charting their physical testing. Nowadays, the Combine is held at the new and beautiful Wintrust Arena. But back then, it was at Moody Bible College, an old but charming gym. And now they have BAM testing doing all the measurements and physical testing. So things have changed quite a bit.
"For many reasons, events like the Combine were special for me. Still, one reason in particular is because my dad and his two brothers were in the prime of their NBA careers. My uncle Pete was the Atlanta Hawks general manager and had started the NBA Draft Combine with Bobby Knight years prior. My uncle Rob was either with the Timberwolves or the general manager of the Toronto Raptors. And of course, my dad was with the Milwaukee Bucks, as he has been for what now feels like forever. So it was always a great opportunity to spend time with them.
"And it's also a time when I established many relationships with people I now have longstanding friendships with. And I think about spending time back then with some of our friends that have passed too, like veteran NBA guys like the Eggman or BJ Johnson. And from a basketball standpoint, I remember the 2003 NBA Draft Combine especially well. I remember watching Luke Walton from Arizona display his passing skills, or James Jones from Miami showing his sniper-like outside shooting. And I remember an early entrant fresh out of high school, Kendrick Perkins. And then in 2004, I remember going to a private workout between sessions of the Combine with what seemed like every NBA scout and executive throughout the league to watch Pavel Podkolzin. From Russia, Podkolzin was 7'5" and had a big body, like 300 pounds. During that workout, Podkolzin blew everyone away. Remember that back in 2004, traditional bigs still came at a premium.
"So Podkolzin's size, touch, and overall skill level were highly intriguing for NBA teams. Following the workout, Podkolzin's name was buzzing. If I remember correctly, he was hyped up as a potential high lottery pick. Well, he ended up being selected 21st overall by the Dallas Mavericks and only played in the league for two years with limited playing time. However, I will never forget the amount of buzz that individual workout generated. It was crazy.
"And during those years, after workouts like that and after the live play, I remember hearing all the NBA scouts talking about who they liked and why, who was moving up or down, and things like that. So just being around all the NBA guys during that time shaped me as a basketball person, probably more than anyone realized at the time. Opportunities like that were so invaluable for me. It was awesome, and I was lucky. But after I finished college, I had a unique transition. I went from being an NBA kid, where many NBA personnel took me under their wings, to as my family joked, I went to the dark side by becoming a sports agent and representing players.
"Subsequently, I had to deal with many restrictions, including no access to the Combine. The only people allowed were NBA personnel, some media, and the players. So although I wasn't allowed into the Combine as an agent, it often proved memorable nonetheless. And that was especially true in 2015 when I represented Jordan Mickey, an early entry from LSU. Some questioned whether Jordan should remain in the draft, as he was only projected as a mid to late second-round pick. Regardless, Jordan decided he would stay in the draft, and that was whether I represented him or not.
"So my partner and I agreed to represent him. As we got started, it was clear that Jordan and his family were ambitious. They strongly expressed their desire for him to become a first-round pick. So considering where he was projected then, I was a little uneasy. I knew a lot of work needed to be done, and some things needed to go in our favor too. So regarding the NBA Draft Combine, outside voices advised Jordan not to participate in the live play at the Combine, and I adamantly thought that he needed to play. And I still take that stance generally with players. If you're uncomfortable with where you're projected to get drafted and think you deserve more, don't dodge competition. Show people what you're made of.
"If you want to become a millionaire basketball player, play basketball. So anyway, I remember having dinner with Jordan and my partner in Chicago the night before the live play began. I gave Jordan my whole spiel. I told him I was confident in him, that he had worked so hard to get in great shape, and that he was prepared to move the needle. He told us he would play, but honestly, I went to sleep that night without knowing whether he'd actually play or not. I was so stressed. So the next day, when the game started, I couldn't go into the Combine because I was an agent, but it was televised on ESPN. So as I watched the TV, I saw him. Jordan was suited up.
"And before I knew it, the game tipped off, and he quickly made an incredible block and another one, and then he threw down a powerful dunk. The announcers were going nuts. Jordan Mickey this, Jordan Mickey that. He was killing it. Suddenly, my phone began ringing. Teams that big-timed me before the Combine completely changed their tones, and some even begged me to have Jordan visit their teams for workouts. Jordan took my advice and took care of business. We were moving up. I remember going to one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago that night, named Quartino.
"We were all on cloud nine. That was a good day. Fast forward, and we didn't fully accomplish our goal because although Jordan received plenty of interest from teams selected in the first round, he was selected in the second round, 33rd overall by the Boston Celtics. And because he was a second-round pick, we had to fully negotiate his contract instead of a first-round pick whose contracts are on a sliding scale, resulting in the bulk of the agreement not being negotiated. So anyway, we secured Jordan a multi-year deal. And in fact, it was the most lucrative contract for a second-round pick in NBA history at that point and paid him more money than many of the first-round picks that year. So yeah, the 2015 NBA Draft Combine was a memorable one for me. In recent years, since getting out of the agent business and becoming an NBA draft analyst and scout, I attend the NBA Draft Combine every year.
"But the one I remember the most was in 2019. And unfortunately, those memories are some tough ones. On May 15, 2019, I woke up at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago, which is where I'm at right now. So my dad called, and he had terrible news. He called to tell me that my uncle Rob had passed after battling pancreatic cancer. Naturally, I cried. We knew it was coming, but you really can't prepare for something like that. And for me, growing up in a family in which my dad and two uncles had all worked in the NBA for so long, I always looked up to them and felt like they were superheroes and invincible. So my uncle passed in a way that hit hard.
"It hit us all hard. Considering it was such an emotional and horrific day, I was deciding whether to attend the Combine or not. Of course, I didn't feel as if anyone would have harshly judged me if I had bailed that day. However, I thought about a story I read years before in a newspaper after my uncle Rob was fired as general manager of the Toronto Raptors. I forget the exact details, but I believe he had committed to speaking to a group of kids at a school. And although he was fired by the Raptors just the day before, he still fulfilled his commitment, saying something along the lines of he's not willing to leave people hanging and not fall through with commitments.
"So I chose to attend the Combine that day. As I was sitting in the bleachers at the Combine, it seemed as if nearly every single NBA scout and executive made their way to share their condolences with me at one point or another. Honestly, it was incredible. I knew my uncle Rob and my family had made an impact in the NBA. However, that day, the significance truly dawned on me. Collectively, my dad and his brothers had spent years and years establishing relationships and earning everyone's respect by being hardworking and reliable while treating people kindly and fairly.
"I had always wanted to be just like my dad and two uncles, but on May 15th, 2019, although it was a dreadful day, I had never been more proud to be a Babcock. So today, as I sit here in Chicago before walking over to the arena, I'm thankful to be able to reflect on all of the memories I've had at the NBA Draft Combine throughout the years. And it's funny to think, I'm currently 38 years old, the exact age my dad left college coaching to become an NBA scout.
"And honestly, it's got me thinking. I've grown up in basketball. I've taken many unorthodox moves in my career. I've had plenty of highs and lows, successes and failures. And my various roles within basketball have allowed me to have so many different unique experiences. The game has taken me all over the world. But right or wrong, wherever I go or whatever I do, my inner compass always brings me back to my childhood dream to follow in my family's footsteps. And that's something I just don't think will ever change.
"I'm Matt Babcock, and this is The Matt Babcock Show. Thanks for listening."
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