CHICAGO — Canadian Ryan Nembhard was up in his hotel room at the Marriott Marquis just hours after dominating the G League Elite Camp when he got a knock on his door.

He was one of five players notified they had earned an invite to the NBA Draft Combine after an impressive two-day performance in front of NBA scouts and executives.

To say the knock on the door for Nembhard was unexpected would be a bit of a lie.

“I feel like I should’ve been here in the first place,” said Nembhard. “It just means I performed well and I have another opportunity to do the same thing I did in the G League and show people what I can do.”

Despite being left off the initial list of 75 invitees, Nembhard had made sure every NBA decision-maker in attendance took notice. He shot 73 per cent in all combine drills, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

“I wasn’t going to come here and pout because I didn’t get to the real combine. I was going to try and work my way up and put my head down and work,” said Nembhard.

<div style="display: flex; justify-content: center;">
 <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
   <p lang="en" dir="ltr">
     NEW: Canadian Ryan Nembhard has earned an invite to the NBA Draft Combine after an impressive two days at the G League Elite Camp, I’m told. <br><br>
     Nembhard led the NCAA in assists this past season, averaging 9.8 at Gonzaga.
     <a href="https://t.co/CRwssI0AHG">pic.twitter.com/CRwssI0AHG</a>
   </p>&mdash; Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1)
   <a href="https://twitter.com/libaanstar1/status/1921749455151198221">May 12, 2025</a>
 </blockquote>
 <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>

In the first G League Elite Camp scrimmage, Nembhard poured in six points, nine assists, four rebounds and one steal in 19 minutes while leading his team to a 38-point blowout.

On the sidelines coaching Nembhard to an NBA Draft Combine invite was a familiar face — Canada Basketball’s FIBA U19 head coach Ramón Diaz. The two could be seen sharing laughs and chatting before the scrimmages. Diaz wanted to ensure Nembhard felt confident and at ease with him by his side.

“I think he reaffirmed a lot of what he had already shown during his time in the NCAA, especially in his last two years,” said Diaz, on Nembhard’s performance this past week in Chicago.

“Ryan has the ability to make his teammates better as a true point guard, but at the same time, in key moments when the team needed him, he showed his scoring ability and competitive instinct to win games with his talent.”

Just hours before Nembhard got the call-up to the NBA Draft Combine, he hit a clutch three-pointer to secure a 101–98 win for his team while finishing the game with 11 points and six assists in 24 minutes.

<div style="display: flex; justify-content: center;">
 <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
   <p lang="en" dir="ltr">
     Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard hits a clutch three late to lead Team 3 to a 101–98 win.<br><br>
     Finished with 11 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists. We’ll find out tonight if he gets a call up to the NBA Draft Combine.
     <a href="https://t.co/YyBoXPzzQi">pic.twitter.com/YyBoXPzzQi</a>
   </p>
   &mdash; Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1)
   <a href="https://twitter.com/libaanstar1/status/1921687270387528068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a>
 </blockquote>
 <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>

“I was a little surprised after seeing what he did for us this year,” said Gonzaga men’s basketball assistant coach Zach Norvell Jr., on Nembhard not getting a direct invite to the combine initially. “How much usage he had, how he controlled the pace all year. He just made big-time plays for us all year.”

Nembhard led Gonzaga to its 22nd all-time West Coast Conference tournament title this past season, averaging 10.5 points, 9.8 assists (leading the NCAA) and 1.7 steals on 40.4 per cent shooting from three-point range.

The 9.8 assists broke several Gonzaga records. Nembhard finished fifth all-time in NCAA single-season assists with 344.

Coach Norvell sat in the stands at Wintrust Arena with other members of Gonzaga’s staff to support Nembhard throughout the week. When he heard about him getting the invite to the combine, it wasn’t a surprise.

“To me, he’s the best point guard here. He sees the floor so well. Plays in space and flow so easily,” said Norvell. “He’s what the NBA is looking for, too. He’s a dream to play with for a lot of these guys that just want to show their talent in a short amount of time.”

<div style="display: flex; justify-content: center;">
 <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
   <p lang="en" dir="ltr">
     Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard continues to be a standout player at the combine scrimmages, garnering serious draft consideration.<br><br>
     99th %-ile in P&amp;R ball-handling volume. Led the nation in assists while bolstering a 4.06 AST/TO (!) — excellent court vision, feel &amp; unselfishness to him.
     <a href="https://t.co/ljd7OYGzIs">pic.twitter.com/ljd7OYGzIs</a>
   </p>
   &mdash; Mohamed (@mcfdraft)
   <a href="https://twitter.com/mcfdraft/status/1923132866705101304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a>
 </blockquote>
 <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>

Over the next few weeks, Nembhard will work out for about 15 different NBA teams ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft in June. Teams with a second-round pick are expected to take a serious look at him. He hopes to hear his name called on draft night but is expected to at least earn a two-way contract, with multiple suitors lining up.

In the summer of 2021, Nembhard helped lead Canada to a bronze medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia. Alongside him, the team featured future Canadian NBA players, including Zach Edey, Bennedict Mathurin, Caleb Houstan and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

“Those are four guys right there that are all in the league right now,” said Nembhard. “Most of them were first-round picks or early second-round picks. I feel like I’m just on the same level as those guys. I don’t see why I can’t play in this league.”

The last time Nembhard suited up for Canada was three summers ago at the inaugural GLOBL JAM at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, which is slated to return this year from Aug. 13 to 17.