A former Raptors big man heading to a division rival? That’s not the most conventional move—and then again, Chris Boucher’s never followed a conventional path. The 31-year-old is signing a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Boston Celtics, per Shams Charania.

After seven seasons in Toronto, he now walks into a Celtics frontcourt that’s suddenly wide open. With Al Horford still unsigned and both Kristaps Porzingis and Georges Niang traded away, there’s a real chance Boucher could make an impact right away—but then again, making the most of tough situations is kind of his thing. From humble beginnings to carving out a role in the NBA, Boucher has spent years proving people—especially his dad—wrong.

So how did a kid with a bumpy start in life end up a two-time NBA champion? Let’s take a deeper look into Chris Boucher’s backstory.

Who are Chris Boucher’s parents?

Chris Boucher’s parents are Mary MacVane and Jean-Guy Boucher. He was born on January 11, 1993, in Castries, Saint Lucia, and when he was five, his mother Mary moved with him to Montreal, Canada. She’s Saint Lucian and has played a big role in his journey—supporting his SlimmDuck Foundation, which helps create educational and athletic opportunities for underserved youth across Canada. His father, Jean-Guy Boucher, is Canadian, as confirmed by The Gazette. So, Boucher’s story starts with a mix of Saint Lucian roots and Canadian upbringing.

Family origins and early life

Chris Boucher’s story begins in Castries, Saint Lucia, where he was born in 1993. At just five years old, he made the long journey to Montreal with his mother, Mary MacVane, in hopes of reuniting with his Canadian father, Jean-Guy Boucher. But what was supposed to be a fresh start slowly turned into something much harder. His parents split when he was nine, and from that point on, Boucher was raised mostly by his mother in the rough-and-tough Montréal-Nord neighborhood.

Life in Montreal’s north end wasn’t gentle. Boucher was one of many young immigrants trying to find their place, growing up in poverty with little support and fewer opportunities. He played soccer and ice hockey, but the real struggle was at home. By the time he hit sixteen, things had unraveled—he and his mom fell out over her boyfriend, and his relationship with his father had already been strained by arguments and a growing sense of directionlessness. The journey after that was only uphill.

Parental influence on Chris Boucher’s journey

After his parents split when he was nine, life for Chris Boucher turned into a constant hustle for survival. He was living some version of homelessness—crashing on friends’ couches or riding the overnight bus just to stay warm. “I was not going to school. The only thing I was doing was working, but if I wasn’t working that day, I really had nothing to do,” he said.

He’d dropped out of high school, taken a part-time job at a St-Hubert chicken joint in Montreal, and spent his nights playing pickup ball in parks simply because he had nowhere else to go. “I was at the park from 5 p.m. to midnight. We used to play, like, the whole time,” he recalled.

Through it all, it was his mother, Mary MacVane, who stayed quietly in his corner—supporting him during the toughest chapters of his life and later backing his SlimmDuck Foundation, which now helps kids facing the same struggles he once did. His relationship with his father, Jean-Guy, stayed distant. He didn’t see the point in basketball and didn’t take Chris’s hoop dreams seriously.

But somehow, that didn’t stop Boucher. He held onto something deeper—a quiet belief. “Even though I was not in the \[same] position with the other kids and all that, I never saw myself as unworthy,” he said. From a lost teen working kitchens to a 6-foot-10 shot-blocking machine discovered by pure chance, every ounce of adversity shaped the fire that carried him to the NBA.

Relationship with his mother and father

Chris Boucher’s road to the NBA began under tough circumstances. Raised mostly by his mother, he grew up in a household that sometimes struggled to make ends meet. His relationship with his father, Jean-Guy, was distant and complicated — and when it came to basketball, there was little support from him. Still, Boucher kept playing in city parks and recreational centres, relying on his own drive to push forward despite the lack of encouragement at home.

That persistence eventually caught the attention of coach Igor Rwigema, who made the trip to meet Boucher in person. Sitting down with Jean-Guy, Igor didn’t have to make a long pitch. “If you think you can do something with my son, then just take him,” his father said, opening the door for what would become a life-changing opportunity. From Alma Academy in Quebec to college ball in the United States, Boucher quickly developed his game, even earning NJCAA Player of the Year before moving on to the University of Oregon.

His college career ended with an ACL tear, and going undrafted in 2017 could have been the end of the story. Instead, Boucher signed a two-way deal with the Golden State Warriors, then found his stride with the Toronto Raptors, making history as the first player to win both G League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. His rise culminated in a 3-year, $35.25 million contract in 2022 — a testament to the work ethic and resilience that began back when he was just a kid playing in the parks of Montreal.

Now, Boucher is headed to

the Boston Celtics, bringing his hustle and length to a championship contender. He averaged 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 50 games during the 2024-25 season.