The Duke standout reveals how his father’s NBA legacy and a dominant collegiate season forged a pro-ready mindset as he prepares to transition into a top-three pick.
Projected top‑three pick Cameron Boozer sat down with Utah Jazz sideline reporter Lauren Green this week, offering a clear look at his mindset as draft night approaches. Boozer spoke about preparation, expectations and the family foundation that helped guide him to this point.
With the draft closing in, Boozer said he’s trying to stay present.
“I’m excited. It’s not really up to me where I go, but wherever it is, it’s going to be a great situation,” Boozer told Green. “I’m going to make the most out of it.”
Boozer is coming off a dominant freshman season at Duke, where he was named Naismith Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, while sporting an average of 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He said the decision to play at Duke was intentional, designed to prepare him for the demands of the NBA.
“Playing at Duke really prepared me for the NBA, the brand, the media, the competition you play on a nightly basis,” he said. “I feel like I’m very well prepared.”
Boozer’s path has always been shaped by the people closest to him. His father, Carlos Boozer, played 13 seasons in the NBA and his mother coached him at various stages growing up. Together, their influence, he says, was foundational.
“I don’t know if it was necessarily, ‘I’ll make it because he was my dad,’” Boozer said. “But it definitely helped, being put in the right situations, the right coaches, mentors. My mom as well. People who have been around it and know what it takes.”
Their biggest message to him was to stay grounded and stay present.
“They told me to be where my feet are,” he said. “You can’t get to the next level unless you’re doing what you need to do today.”
As he prepares for the next step, Boozer said he’s focused on expanding his on‑ball creation, which is an area evaluators believe could unlock even more upside at the next level.
“Just being able to do more things with the ball in my hands, off the bounce,” he said. “College is a different game. I’m just getting prepared for the NBA in that sense.”
Boozer has been part of a highly touted group since high school, and he believes the class validated that reputation this season.
“A lot of people talked about our class going into high school as one of the best,” he said. “I think we showed that in college this year.”
Projected to go in the top three, Boozer said the expectations only motivate him.
“I have all the opportunity in the world. I just have to go and do what I know I can do.”
When his name is called, Boozer expects the moment to hit hardest for the people who helped him get there.
“For my family, they’ll just be super proud,” he said. “For me, it’s hard to know what I’m going to feel like because I’ve never been through it before. But it’ll be super exciting, an amazing feeling.”
For Boozer, the draft is the culmination of a lifelong dream and the beginning of the next chapter.
