Carlos Boozer Chat Transcript: March 24, 2006
Boozer chatted on March 24.NBAE/Getty Images |
Originally selected in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft (35th overall) by Cleveland, Boozer played his first two seasons with the Cavaliers before signing a six-year contract with the Jazz. In his first three NBA seasons, the Alaskan native played in 207 career games (180 starts), scoring 13.9 points, shooting .526 percent from the field (1163-2211) and 9.3 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game. Collegiately, Boozer played three seasons at Duke where he finished as the Blue Devils' all-time leader in field goal percentage at .631 percent (554-878), which also ranks third in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
Carlos chatted live with fans on Friday, March 24. Check out the complete chat transcript below:
Jeremy, Ogden: Hey Boozer huge fan. Coming off this last injury do you think your game is at 100% now. good luck and keep shooting
Carlos Boozer: I think so. Obviously it's been a long recovery but I definitely feel I'm 100-percent right now.
Willie Galang (Manila): Hi Carlos! Good luck to the playoff chase. How comfortable are you playing at 5?
Carlos Boozer: I played the 5 at college, at Duke. Now, the guys in the NBA are way, way bigger. But the good thing is, that our system here in Utah, we do a good job of helping on defense and playing off each other.
Gimmie (Cracow, Poland): You have been shooting incredibly well recently - is this the result of some special shooting practice you took during your long rehab from hamstring injury or is it a matter of a better shot selection?
Carlos Boozer: Poland? Wow! Truthfully, I think I been here almost two years now and I'm getting more comfortable. I'm finding where I can get my shots now, and the most important thing is I need to make them. I need to make those shots count. I didn't know I had fans in Poland.
John B. - s.L.c.: Great to see you back Booz! What is the new tattoo on your right arm of?
Carlos Boozer: I'm from Alaska, so the top of my shoulder is the Alaskan Mountains and under that is the skyline of Juneau, where I'm from. Then there's a picture of me, and under that it says "God's Will." The message is, that even though I came from a small town, God had a plan for me, and I will follow that plan.
Nathan (Idaho): I grew up in Skagway, Alaska and had the chance to see Carlos there once. My question is, Is there anything about growing up in Alaska that you have taken with you into the NBA?
Carlos Boozer: Wow. Another Alaskan. Where I grew up, my environment was where everyone knew everybody else and we were all friendly. We were all brothers and treated each other with respect. Alaska had a lot to do with that, but of course, mostly that came from my parents.
Carlos Boozer: Oh, and it's good to hear from you. Thanks for writing in.
Jordan Raygoza (Corning,CA): What's it like playing with Andrei Kirilenko? Does he suprise you sometimes when you see him make all those blocks?
Carlos Boozer: It's exciting, I can tell you that. His capabalities are great. He is one of the few players in the league, that other players in the NBA would pay to watch. His timing is impeccable on the those blocks. Many of those blocks come where he is helping teammates who may have made mistakes on their defensive task, so it is a real pleasure playing with him. Also, he has game on offense too. Don't forget that.
Jon (Bountiful): Carlos, what is your favorite thing about playing for the Jazz and living in Salt Lake City?
Carlos Boozer: Hmmm. I played in Cleveland for two years and I never saw the sun. But here, I see the sun every single day.
dennis7 (Cracow, Poland): If you could play any PF from any Era, who would it be?
Carlos Boozer: Obviously I'm a crazy Karl Malone fan. I know this guy played mostly center, but I'd also love to have played against Willis Reed. I think I could learn alot from Karl and Willis.
Clint (SLC): What is your favorite Karl Malone memory?
Carlos Boozer: My favorite Karl memory is not from on the court. It was the first time I met him, and when I shook his hand. I was just blown away with him. I have great respect for him, and even though we have different games, I really respect him as a person and as a player. Here's a story: my rookie year I played against Karl and my coach, John Lucas, asked me, "Booz, do you want to get his autograph now?" Even my coach knew how much respect I had for Karl. But then, as the game went on, and after I got a few of Karl's well-placed elbows, I stopped thinking about autographs and concentrated on my job.
William (Rockville, MD): Carlos, Who's going to win the NCAA championship?
Carlos Boozer: There are a few teams, Florida and Memphis. And I realize that UConn has the most talent....now that Duke is out of course (Ha-ha, Laughing).......but Florida and Memphis have been playing great and I would not be surprised if one of them ended up cutting down the nets.
doug(slc): Carlos, for the last few games you and Deron Williams have looked awesome together. I know Stockton and Malone can't be replaced, but what do you think of Deron Williams as the point guard of the future for the Jazz.
Carlos Boozer: I think he has a good future ahead of him. He has great talent and a great mind for the game. He knows how to manage a game and I think he's gonna be good for a lot of years.
Colin ( Pleasant View): Hey Carlos, You had a great game against the Suns Tuesday, Do you think you guys have the stuff to make the Playoffs?
Carlos Boozer: I sure hope so. I know we're fighting every night. We have 14 games left and we're only two games out. But we have the talent and desire to do it. But, Colin, we are gonna do our damndest to get in there.
Carlos Boozer: To all the fans, thanks for the support. Stick with the Jazz, we'll do our best to get in the playoffs and work hard for you in the future.
