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Cameron Boozer #12 of the Duke Blue Devils and NBA draft candidate, poses with his father Carlos Boozer.

Few will remember this as Cameron Boozer, the Duke star who has been consistently rated as one of the Top 3 prospects in this year’s NBA draft class, takes the stage when Adam Silver calls his name at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but his father was once among the least-liked players in the league. That is, at least, how fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers felt about Carlos Boozer some 22 years ago.

As the legend went, Boozer was a second-round pick out of Duke in the year before the Cavs drafted LeBron James, and because he was a second-round pick, the Cavs had an option on him after two seasons. Carlos Boozer had been brilliant in his first two years, averaging 12.6 points and 9.4 rebounds, and he supposedly promised then-Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund (who was legally blind) that he would re-sign with the Cavs if he were let out of the remainder of the contract.

Gund conceded, did not pick up the option, and once that happened, Boozer bolted to Utah on a bigger contract. He later explained that he did not re-sign with the Cavaliers out of fear of an NBA investigation into tampering, but to this day, Boozer is still reviled in Cleveland for having duped an elderly blind man.

Carlos Boozer Won a Gold Medal

Now, Carlos Boozer also went on to twice be an All-Star for the Jazz, and appeared in the Olympics with Team USA twice, first as part of the disastrous 2004 team in Athens, then as part of the so-called “Redeem Team” that won a gold medal in China. He is not a Hall of Famer, but he certainly had a long and productive 13-year career with the Cavs, Jazz, Bulls and Lakers.

That’s a pretty good background to bring into the NBA draft for a budding young player like Cameron Boozer to lean on. But make no mistake, Cameron Boozer was never mistaken for a second-round pick, not after averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Cam Boozer scored 705 points with 315 rebounds this season, the first freshman in three decades to hit that milestone.

Cameron Boozer Has Family Support Entering NBA Draft

It’s also helpful that Carlos Boozer is still very much involved in NBA basketball as Cam Boozer enters the league. In fact, Carlos Boozer is an executive with the Jazz, the team with the No. 2 pick in the draft. That is not expected to affect Utah’s decision in the draft, though.

Cameron Boozer is not the only player carrying the Boozer name, of course. His twin brother, Cayden Boozer, is returning to Duke for next season. Boozer is entering the league with plenty of family support.

“I think the biggest thing is just having him around me,” Cameron said at the NBA Draft combine. “When you have someone like my dad that’s been through it and been through the ups and downs and had success at the highest level, it’s nice to have someone like that in my corner.

“And with Cayden, it’s great sharing the court with someone who loves the game as much as I do. Someone who pushes me every day to be better and knows the way I play the game. There’s always someone to compete with and, especially because we’re family, there’s that tough love that pushes me to get better.”