Every successful NBA story doesn’t need to have a stacked resume. This surely applies to Carlos Boozer as the 2x NBA All-Star is one of the most respected individuals from the league. In October 2023, Boozer published his book titled Every Shot Counts: A Memoir of Resilience where he detailed stories of his life.

The memoir covers Boozer’s life from growing up in Alaska, dreaming of a basketball career, and eventually living that dream. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal said “With Every Shot Counts, I hope that you’ll be as inspired by Carlos’ journey as I’ve been” after learning Boozer’s life story.

Carlos Boozer recalled the fishing experience with his father

Boozer is a 2x All-Star, but the biggest achievements of his career come from representing his country. With Team USA, he won a bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. After a major setback in that campaign, a superteam was assembled to represent the nation in the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Boozer was part of the Redeem Team that participated in 2008 and brought back a gold medal to his country. But there is more to his life than just basketball. Boozer has had several heartbreaking experiences in his life including witnessing the death of his best friend.

In his book, he recalled being forced to go fishing with his father. He said that his father was extremely fond of that experience but was always instructed to be around people while fishing. His father’s usual companions were some of his friends but on days when they were unavailable to accompany him, young Boozer would be asked to do so. He recalled his father waking him up once at 3 am in the morning to go fishing. While he tried to reject his father, he was eventually made to go with the plan. The NBA veteran recalled having one of his best experiences on that trip. “He’d close his eyes so I would too. It felt peaceful”, he recalled having a serene experience.

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Carlos Boozer’s best friend

Boozer, in his memoir, revealed a secret he has been holding within for over 30 years. He recalled witnessing his best friend’s death. He wrote “I ran to Chris and fell to my knees, propping his head and torso against my chest. I instinctually placed my hands on Chris’s, but the blood kept coming, pooling into his gray T-shirt and gushing down in all directions like an erupting volcano.”

Boozer said that it was a truly life-changing experience for him and is still something he feels extreme discomfort talking about. What’s remarkable is that despite all the horrific experiences he had from a very early age, Boozer could turn his life around. Today he boasts a reputable status in the world of basketball. One may wonder if it is a result of the life lessons he unknowingly picked up along the way.

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