NEW YORK (AP) — NBA draft night is all about getting dressed up, with players donning their finest suits for the walk on stage after their name is called.
The weather in New York is better suited for shorts and flip-flops.
With temperatures soaring to 100 degrees (38 Celsius) in the city on Tuesday, players knew their nice attire on draft night was going to get a little uncomfortable.
“I thought, I was coming to New York, I was expecting some nice, cool weather, but it’s going to be 99 degrees today in New York City. That’s hotter than it is back home in Texas,” said Liam McNeeley, who is from Richardson, Texas.
Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber had already changed out of his pants after an outdoor event earlier Tuesday, putting on shorts for his media session at a hotel.
Little relief is expected Wednesday, so players were glad that most of their time would be spent indoors. But even just a few minutes felt like too much.
“First day I got here, I was like ‘God damn.’ I was burning up,” said South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who wore a jacket and slacks Tuesday.
But there was no chance he would slip into something more comfortable Wednesday.
“I have no choice but to stick with what I got,” he said. “It’s too late to switch up now. Way too late.”
Flagg and Friends
Cooper Flagg won't have to look far in the green room to see someone he knows.
The expected No. 1 pick will have played with at least five players who could be drafted Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach could also be top-10 selections, while McNeeley, Asa Newell of Georgia and Derik Queen of Maryland were teammates before that at powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida.
“So I think it’s incredible going through this experience with them,” Flagg said.
His college coach will also be there. Jon Scheyer plans to make the trip to possibly see not only Flagg, but possibly his entire starting five selected in the two-round draft.
“It’s going to mean a lot, because it’s kind of a final chapter,” Scheyer told The Associated Press. “It’s the final piece to the puzzle in terms of, all right, now you’re passing him off to what’s next. And he’s going in the right place: being the No. 1 pick overall, doing what he’s done this year at Duke, and he did it the right way.
“That’s the thing I’m proud of. The fact that he got better, the fact that we had 35 wins, Final Four — everything we accomplished this year is to me just such a special thing. I’m going to be really proud to see him and then obviously our four other guys to hear their names called.”
Chance to join the champs?
Sorber made two visits to Oklahoma City to meet with the Thunder, who have the No. 15 and 24 picks on Wednesday night. One of them was just before the team won the NBA championship on Sunday.
“Everybody was excited,” Sorber said. “They were just ready for Game 7, so it was just a cool environment to be in.”
Sorber, who had season-ending surgery on his left foot on Feb. 26, wasn't able to work out for the Thunder. Nor was he able to stay for Game 7, having to return home.
But he was aware of the party atmosphere in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, when the Thunder celebrated with a championship parade.
“I’ve seen a couple videos, too,” he said. “They’re lit over there.”
Clayton's break
Walter Clayton Jr. earned a break after leading Florida to the NCAA championship. There just wasn't time for a long one.
“Two weeks,” he said.
The Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four said he spent a few days in Gainesville, then a few more days at home with family in Florida. Then it was on to Los Angeles to dive into the pre-draft process.
It seems to be going well. The All-America guard earned an invite to the green room, meaning league executives are high on his chances of getting drafted in a solid first-round position.
Then it will quickly be to wherever he is taken, and on to summer league in early July. That's why he was thankful for the break he was able to take.
“I mean, I was still in and out of the gym here and there, but it was just two weeks getting off my feet, spending time with my family,” Clayton said. “Obviously it was a long season, so just getting that time with them.”
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AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard in Durham, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
