COLLEGE CAREER:
Career Notes:
Carlos was recruited by many top-tier collegiate basketball programs, including St. John's and UCLA, but Boozer elected to play for coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University. He helped the team win the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.
Carlos was a second team preseason All-America selection by Basketball News and The Sporting News. He was third team preseason All-America by Athlon and was ranked the nation’s second-best center by The Sporting News. Carlos was rated the nation’s third-best center by Lindy’s. He was one of 50 preseason candidates for the Wooden Award, given annually to the nation’s top college basketball player. Carlos was preseason first team All-ACC choice by Athlon and a second team selection by Lindy’s and Basketball News. He is a physical inside player who can score in the low post with either hand.
Carlos started 58 of 66 career games and has a career field goal percentage of .609 which ranks second all-time at Duke behind Elton Brand .612. He has seven career double-doubles and scored 20+ points 17 times and has pulled down 10+ rebounds nine times in his career. Carlos has two of Duke’s 14 perfect shooting performances from the field (minimum six field goal attempts) in school history. He helped lead the U.S. World Championship for Young Men’s Team to a gold medal in the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men Tournament. Carlos led the U.S. team in several statistical categories, including scoring 15.9 field goals, made 53 and attempted 80, field goal percentage .663 and rebounding 8.0. He set the U.S. team’s single game record with 29 points in the semifinal game vs. Argentina. The U.S. team, featuring Boozer and Duke teammates, Chris Duhon and Dahntay Jones, posted an 8-0 record in the tournament. Carlos was also selected as the 27th greatest athlete to come from Alaska by Sports Illustrated.
NBA CAREER
Drafted by Cleveland
Boozer declared for the 2002 NBA Draft, relinquishing his final year of NCAA eligibility. Carlos was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA draft. He played two full seasons with Cavaliers. Boozer averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg in his rookie campaign and followed it up with 15.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg his second year while playing alongside LeBron James.
Utah Jazz (2004–2010)
In his first season with the Jazz 2004–05, Boozer averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds. He showed promise and the ability to be the go-to guy, while learning a new system. However, he suffered an injury and missed the later part of the season.
As the 2005–06 NBA season began, Boozer was still recovering from injury and then aggravated a hamstring, causing him to miss the first half of that season as well. He returned to action in late February, easing into action by coming off the bench for the Jazz. In the middle of March, he was placed back into the starting lineup. From that point, he finished the season in impressive fashion, averaging over 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game and firmly establishing himself as the Jazz's starting power forward once again.
Boozer got off to a strong start in the 2006–07 season, winning the Western Conference Player of the Week Award and helping the Jazz to win eleven of their first twelve games. Boozer was named part of the NBA All-Star roster as a reserve but could not participate because of a hairline fracture in his left fibula.
In an April 23, 2007 game vs. the Houston Rockets (game two of the first round of the 2007 playoffs), Boozer scored 41 points, tying the career high he had set a month earlier on March 26 (vs. the Washington Wizards). He also led the Jazz past the Rockets in game 7 of the first round in the NBA Playoffs, scoring 35 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and two clutch free throws to secure the victory in Boozer's first playoff series.
In November, early in the 2007–08 season, Boozer was named Western Conference Player of the Month. By mid-December, he was among the league's top five performers in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. Although he later slipped in all of these categories, he continued to produce solid numbers, and he currently has the second-most double-doubles of any player in the league (behind Dwight Howard) with 40. Boozer was again chosen as a backup in the All-Star Game, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play. He registered his first career triple-double against the Seattle SuperSonics on February 13, 2008, with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Chicago Bulls (2010–present)
Boozer joined the Chicago Bulls on July 8, 2010. The deal was brokered as a sign-and-trade with Boozer's former team, the Utah Jazz. Chicago received Boozer and a future second round pick in exchange for sending Utah a trade.
USA BASKETBALL
Boozer was selected as a member of the 2004 USA Olympic men's basketball team which won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. He was also named to the 2006–08 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team, but did not compete in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship due to his wife's pregnancy. Boozer did participate in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as the USA went unbeaten en route to the gold medal, defeating 2006 World Champion Spain for their first gold medal since the 2000 Olympics.
