Cameron Boozer says winning comes first, but Rookie of the Year is among his goals as he begins his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Cameron Boozer listed Rookie of the Year among his goals for his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies at the team's media day Monday at FedExForum.
Memphis went 25-57 last season and traded Ja Morant to Portland this summer. The Grizzlies drafted Boozer third overall on June 23, after Washington took AJ Dybantsa first and Utah took Darryn Peterson second.
Boozer Says Grizzlies Have 'Something Special Brewing'
Boozer has spent the months since the draft with his new teammates, exploring Memphis and trying new food spots. He likes the energy around the group entering training camp.
"I'd say there's been great energy in the building," Boozer said. "A lot of guys super excited for the year. What are we going to build? And I think we've got a good thing going for sure. So I think we're ready to compete. We're ready to go out there and surprise some people. So it's been a good vibe for sure."
"We've got a lot of guys who are really motivated, guys who want to kind of make their mark in the league," Boozer continued. "And I think having a lot of guys who are motivated to come together and put the team first, I think we've got something special brewing."
He made a similar prediction in July, when he said Memphis would surprise people in 2026-27.
Boozer Has Rookie of the Year in His Sights
Boozer has been one of the top players in the country for years, by his own count, and outside expectations are normal to him at this point. He has his own standards to meet, including competing for Rookie of the Year.
"Of course I have goals," Boozer explained. "But at the end of the day, if you win games, it's going to help you achieve those goals. For me, the biggest thing is the impact in winning, whatever that means for me this year. So if I help the team win games, I'm going to put myself in a great position to win Rookie of the Year or achieve any other goals I have."
The Associated Press named Boozer its men's college basketball player of the year in April. He was the fifth freshman to win the award, after Kevin Durant in 2007, Anthony Davis in 2012, Zion Williamson in 2019, and Cooper Flagg in 2025.
Boozer received 59 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 voters, a month after he was named a unanimous first-team AP All-American.
He averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds for Duke. His 22 double-doubles tied for the national lead.
Boozer, Caleb Wilson Already Have Competitive History
Caleb Wilson went fourth to Chicago, one pick after Boozer.
Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists at North Carolina, the highest scoring average by a freshman in program history. He played 24 games and was named first-team All-ACC and a second-team AP All-American.
A broken bone in his left hand cost him six games in February, and he broke his right thumb dunking in practice on March 5, which ended his season.
The two met once in college. North Carolina beat Duke on Feb. 7, and Wilson scored 23 points while playing a season-high 39 minutes. Duke won the rematch 76-61 on March 7 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, with Wilson out.
Their pro debuts in Las Vegas came in the same game. Memphis beat Chicago 97-96 on July 10. Wilson scored 35 points, and Boozer had 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Both were named to the All-Summer League First Team. Memphis went 4-2 in Las Vegas and reached the championship game.
Boozer Expects Rivalry With Wilson to Continue
Wilson's season at North Carolina left an impression on Boozer. He expects their competitive relationship to continue throughout their NBA careers.
"I think it's a great thing," Boozer said. "Me and him, we've had some battles already. And I think playing together, seeing an amazing season he had at North Carolina, I think we're just going to push each other throughout our careers."
"And I think that's an amazing thing to have, kind of that friendly, but also kind of like when we get on the court, we want to compete and we want to dominate," Boozer added. "That's just the competitive nature in both of us. And I think it's going to be an amazing thing, not only for us, but for everyone else to see us compete in battle and push each other and just have big-time matches against each other."
Memphis opens the preseason Oct. 5 at Atlanta. The regular season begins Oct. 21 against Peterson and the Jazz at FedExForum.
