Nike Basketball News

The Collection: Carlos Boozer Home Player Edition MAX Hyperdunk 2010

tonyhellberg1 — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:52:21 GMT

Double-double machines require full lateral support.

But rarified 20-and-10 big men demand even more.

Lightweight performance that maintains responsive cushioning. Stabilizing support with built-in comfort.

Finishing touch: personal influence on the stylized elements of their shoes.

Carlos Boozer is that distinctly demanding machine.

This is his Home Player Edition MAX Hyperdunk 2010.

WBF Blog: Carlos Boozer

tonyhellberg1 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:33:50 GMT

Carlos Boozer’s take on Carl Sandburg’s 1916 “Chicago”:

Rebounding hog for the NBA,
Feathery jumper, setter of screens,
Player with ink spots and the league’s biceps curler;
Flurry, bulky, demonstrating,
Power Forward of the wide shoulders.

Poetic:

Chicago is also referred to as “The City That Works”.

By almost any definition, that’s all Carlos Boozer has ever done.

How else does a German-born military brat who grows up in Alaska become a two-time high school All-American? Trading elbows in the post is nothing compared to chasing down rebounds in the snow.

At Duke, Boozer chiseled those elbows - and the rest of his body - on the way to the 2001 National Championship, All-American and All-ACC honors and a place atop the Blue Devils’ record book for shooting percentage.

As a pro, he’s turned height-happy haters into cannon fodder for an All-Rookie, All-Star, All-NBA career with a perennial run at the rarified 20-point/10-rebound bottom line.

“The Chi” earned the nickname “Second City” after furiously rebuilding itself in the wake of the Great Fire of 1871. The Bulls have spent more than a decade rebuilding their franchise after saying goodbye to Michael Jordan.

This summer may have been coined in honor of LeBron, but the free agent frenzy that landed Boozer in Chicago has the Bulls feeling second to no one.

WBF Blog: 1 on 1 Karl Malone vs Carlos Boozer

tonyhellberg1 — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:58:16 GMT

The shadow of the year-round, snow-capped Rocky Mountains.

The modern history of a no-nonsense franchise built of the broad shoulders of its home-grown power forwards.

The next generation of one of the greatest of all-time.

Karl Malone seemed to be carved out of those mountainous shadows - his feathery jumper belying the raw power that could’ve forged its valleys on a ravenous path to the rim.

Carlos Boozer fits the mold Malone broke - his affinity for using the soft touch of his off-hand around the rim wrapping a steam engine’s biceps capable of squeezing the air out of every rebound.

Malone overpowered small town roots to become one of the biggest stars the NBA has ever seen; Boozer created a crafty all-around game to negate the perceived height disadvantage he faces nightly.

1-on-1:

Energy Solutions Arena. Empty stands. Nothing but pride on the line.

Could Boozer take Malone?

The Collection 3.0: Hypermax Carlos Boozer

TheLetterJ — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:17:01 GMT

Carlos Boozer finished up the 2009-2010 season sixth in field goal percentage (.562), third in defensive rebounds (693), and fourth in total rebounds (874). Carlos' performance is one of the reasons the Utah Jazz finished with a 53-29 record, and won the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.

Take a look at this Hypermax designed for C-Booz.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max Hyperize Carlos Boozer

TheLetterJ — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:25:49 GMT

Tonight, the Utah Jazz have a chance to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals with a win over the Denver Nuggets.

A big reason for Utah's three victories has been the play of Carlos Boozer. After averaging 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds during the regular season, Carlos has stepped it up in the playoffs, averaging 22.6 points and 12.0 rebounds.

Take a look at the Air Max Hyperize that Carlos has been wearing in the post-season.

Play With Heart Moments: November 5, 2009

TheLetterJ — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:04:40 GMT

Two stars in Utah scored 27 points each, as the Jazz beat the Spurs for the first time since April 2008, 113-99.

Along with his 27 points, Carlos Boozer had 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. One of those assists came on a pretty pass to rookie Wes Matthews in the second half. He also made two key hustle plays in the first quarter, causing two jump balls on the defensive end. That's Playing With Heart.

Deron Williams had 9 assists - with only two turnovers - and 7 rebounds to with his 27 points. His steady play running the offense led the Jazz to 53% shooting for the game.

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Don't just play. Play With Heart. Check out what Playing With Heart means to LeBron James, and pledge your heart to the game.

This Is Our Game: Commitment

Hotnix — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:50:05 GMT

This is our story. The story of us as a country, played on a court and erected on a podium. The journey of us told on the hallowed courts of the 1920’s New York and Boston, the 1930’s Chicago and Detroit. The tale of our pride echoed from the past, lifted off concrete, written on hardwood, and inscribed on the floors around the world. The travels of our dreams follow us: from Barcelona to London, Atlanta to Sydney. The journey of Team USA means more to us, because it’s the game America created, and it’s America’s job to show the world how we play it.

This is our game.

Their sweat is our sweat, their dreams are our dreams. Their pain is felt in the hearts of fans across this nation, the millions who support the passion, the pride, and the ferocity with which we will stake our claim.

This is our legacy.

We give remembrance to the teams of our past. We honor those who paved the way before us. Their stories lie at our feet. Because in the hearts of those players, our desires were born. Our dreams came from those who wore the uniform first. This is the legacy that will never end, given to us so that we can take it to a new level: a level unseen.

Together, we triumph.

This is all a part of the journey we take together. We recognize the difficulty of the road behind us and the opportunity of the journey in front of us. We will go higher. Above the rest. Beyond what anyone says is possible. Because the greatest moments in history still lie in our future.

As a planet, we offer the game as a gift for the world to enjoy.

But together, we will make sure the world knows this one vital, important fact about the United States of America: No one balls like we do.

More on Team USA
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This Is Our Game: Undefeated

GHarty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:49:21 GMT

This is Our Game explores the rich tradition of the U.S. National Teams, uncovering the victories, defeats, and rivalries of the last seven decades. In Part One of the series, as the game spreads to the world, the first and greatest American basketball dynasty is born.

1936-1968.

It all started with a peach basket nailed to a wall, back in 1891, by a high school PE teacher named James Naismith. He’d invented the game as a way to keep his students warm in winter, but it wasn’t long before it’s popularity spread, eventually growing into an American pastime and a global phenomenon.

Basket Ball, a name chosen by one of his students, was soon being played in schoolyards and colleges across the country. By the early 1900’s, official rules were established, the NCAA was formed, and the game became a regular part of life for many Americans. But it wasn’t until World War I, when young soldiers were sent abroad, that basketball was spread to the world.

Before long, the game that started in a high school gym was a major global sport. And so it was decided, almost forty years after that gym class in Springfield, MA, that basketball was to become an official event at the 1936 Games.

From the tip-off, the United States was unstoppable. The team, though made up of young amateurs, won its first five games without much effort. And it was there in Berlin, as Naismith looked on, that one of the world’s longest-running dynasties was born.

From that point on, the U.S men’s team became known for fostering some of the great amateur players in history. The roster for the 1960 games in Rome, for instance, listed future greats like Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Jerry Lucas. Lucas, only 20 years old at the time, served as the team’s anchor, making an amazing 84% of his shots over nine historic games.

From the years 1936 to 1968, The American team was unmatched in speed, skill, and strategy. From London to Helsinki to Tokyo, the Men’s Basketball Team dominated the court time and again. And with a tally of 63-0, it would take the onset of the Cold War – and the U.S.’s biggest political enemy – to bring the team’s streak to an end.

NEXT: The epic rivalry that brought an end to U.S. dominance >>

More on Team USA
Meet the men on this year's Team USA »
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This Is Our Game: Controversy & Defeat

GHarty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:41:14 GMT

This is Our Game explores the rich tradition of the U.S. National Teams, uncovering the victories, defeats, and rivalries of the last seven decades. In Part Two of the series, a legendary streak comes to an abrupt end as Russia emerges on the world stage.

1972-1984.

As the threat of a Third World War looms over the country, Team USA suffers its first ever defeat to its Cold War rivals.

Between the 1940’s and the early 1990’s, the Cold War weighed heavily on the minds of Americans. And in the 1970’s, the controversy, terror and politics finally began to overshadow the goodwill of the games.

The 1972 summer games started off like any other, with Team USA marching through its opponents with ease. Teams like Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Spain, Australia, Japan and Egypt posed little threat to U.S. dominance. But the USSR proved to be a different sort of challenge; as they faced their Cold War rivals in the finals game, they battled from the tip-off, exchanging leads throughout. The Americans knew they had it covered, scoring two clutch free throws with three seconds left on the clock – enough to ensure a 50-49 victory.

Then tragedy struck.

After Russia’s inbound pass, with just one second left on the clock, the referee unexpectedly blew the whistle. After a few moments of confusion, he emerged from a conference with the other refs and announced that the Russian head coach had called a timeout. As a result, the clock would be turned back to three seconds.

When the Russians missed their opportunity to score, Team USA began to celebrate their victory. But the Russian head coach, after flagging down the refs, argued that the clock was improperly reset. The U.S. could do nothing but stand by and wait – and finally, after a long period of deliberation, they saw that the clock was again being set to three seconds. The Russians took to the court again, and were given another chance to score. This time, they sank their shot before the buzzer, and were awarded the gold.

Team USA, believing they were robbed, refused to accept silver medals.

After all of the controversy, tragedy and defeat of the Munich Summer Games, the U.S., still holding a grudge from their previous loss, went to Montreal four years later in search of revenge. After stomping their way through Italy and Yugoslavia, Team USA battled until the final minutes for a 95-94 victory over Puerto Rico. They followed up with easy wins over the remaining competition, including a 2-0 win over Egypt, who had to forfeit for political reasons. The U.S. won the top prize that year, the Russians trailing at third.

In Moscow, eight years after the upset with Russia, yet another political issue overshadowed the games. This time, it was the Soviet-Afghan conflict; Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan was opposed by U.S. allies around the world, and to send a message, Americans and supporting countries staged an official boycott of the games. Without the Americans in the tournament that year, Yugoslavia swept the gold, and the Russians took the bronze.

In '84, Russia and many of its Communist allies returned the favor, protesting the games in Los Angeles. Future legends like Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin and David Robinson were given their first taste of the international spotlight. Unsurprisingly, without their strongest competitor in the tournament, Team USA walked away with the gold.

Until the Cold War ended in the mid '90’s, political rivalries were played out on the hardwood, the defeats as devastating as losses on the battlefield. The next time Team USA faced their Russian rivals in 1988, they suffered a loss that rallied them to assemble the greatest collection of athletes in history, forever changing the game of basketball.

NEXT: Defeat in Seoul gives birth to the American Dream >>

More on Team USA
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This Is Our Game: The Dream Team

GHarty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:38:43 GMT

This is Our Game explores the rich tradition of the U.S. National Teams, uncovering the victories, defeats, and rivalries of the last seven decades. In Part Three of the series, discover how a defeat in Seoul gave rise to the Dream Team, an extraordinary group of men who forever changed the game.

1988-1996.

Four years after losing the gold in 1988, the United States vowed to never let it happen again. To guarantee victory the US changed the rules and forever changed the game.

With the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. boycotting each other’s Olympics, 16 years since had passed since the two rival teams last met at the Summer Games in 1972. In 1988, the U.S. squad, as usual, was a group of talented college players, but in the years leading up to this, the world had begun to catch up to Team USA, and in Seoul, Korea the talent gap was closed for good.

Although the Cold War was still on, this time there was no controversy. The battle between the world superpowers raged only on the hardwood. When the dust settled, Team USA was beaten fair and square by the Russians 86-72 in the semis and had to settle for the bronze medal. For decades the U.S. had been able to dominate with college athletes, but the loss in 1988 proved that era was over.

In 1989, USA Basketball approached the governing body of basketball, FIBA, and asked that a lopsided rule be overturned to allow US professionals to play in international competition. Previously, only pros from South America and Europe could compete in the Games. FIBA agreed. Now allowed to select anyone they wished, the USAB made a bold decision to create what would be known as the Dream Team – the best team ever to take the court.

The USAB selected a group of Hall of Fame talents in their prime. Legends like Michael Jordon, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley and others made up a team that struck fear in their opponents before the game started.

The excitement around the Dream Team started to build well before the Olympics even began. Basketball fans, not just of the U.S., but from all over the world knew they would be witness to the greatest collection of basketball players on one team. Even before the whistles were blown in Barcelona, opposing teams took time out to take photos with their idols. The Americans had truly arrived.

On the court, their dominance was unparalleled. Against Angola, they won 116-48. In the semis against Lithuania - a team with professional players - they won by 51 points. The squad bulled their way through 7 of the world's top teams, running explosive fast breaks and making showtime plays fit for an exhibition game without calling a single timeout. The Dream Team left no doubt that this was their game, and the gold came back to its rightful owners.

It was always going to be a hard act to follow, but Dream Team II was almost as impressive at the 2004 Games in Atlanta. Like the original Dream Team, they crushed their opponents, winning by an average of over 32 points a game. Stars like Charles Barkley and David Robinson, who had played on the original Dream Team, led a team of new players who continued the U.S. reign of dominance.

Dream Team I and II represented the golden age of modern international basketball for the United States. As the international competition raised its standards, Team USA answered the challenge with two of the greatest teams every assembled. These were huge shoes for future US national teams to fill, a task that proved too much for some.

NEXT: The world catches up, and Team USA takes a fall >>

More on Team USA
Meet the men on this year's Team USA »
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This Is Our Game: The Fall

Hotnix — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:37:19 GMT

This is Our Game explores the rich tradition of the U.S. National Teams, uncovering the victories, defeats, and rivalries of the last seven decades. In Part Four of the series, Team USA gets the biggest wake-up call in history.

2000-2006

The Dream Team changed the game in 1992. The world responded in 2000.

After the Dream Team's exciting victories in 1992 and 1996, basketball's popularity exploded around the world. Players and teams from everywhere – Argentina, Lithuania, Russia and Spain – developed their own unique styles. It wasn’t unusual to see 7 footers shooting threes or offensive possessions where the ball was passed ten times before a shot was taken.

The world wasn’t just trying to catch up with Team USA. They, too, were trying to change the game.

At the 2000 Games in Sydney, the U.S. team took home the gold, but a closer look showed cracks in their game. They no longer beat opponents by 40 or more points, but faced some very close calls. Lithuania lost to them by only nine points – the first time Team USA won by less than double digits. Playing Lithuania again in the semis, they squeaked by with a 2 point win. They went on to beat France for the gold, but it was clear they were no longer the team to fear.

When the 2004 Athens Games came around, people expected more of the same winning ways.
But for too long, the international competition had been playing as unified teams while the U.S. pro team was a collection of 12 great individual talents. That year, it was that solid team play, that on-court chemistry that beat out America's raw talent.

In the very first game of the tournament, Puerto Rico gave Team USA the biggest wake-up call in history: a 19-point loss. Another loss came to Lithuania in the prelims and the final nail in the coffin was a semifinal loss to Argentina, the current reigning world champs. After suffering a string of embarrassing defeats, the U.S. realized something needed to change if it wanted to regain the gold.

There was only one man to lead the charge.

In 2005, the legendary Coach K was brought in to not just coach, but to start a program that would rebuild a team from scratch. After wrapping up the season with Duke University, he assembled a team for the 2006 World Championships.

The new Team USA wasn't used to working together and the players were hampered by injuries, resulting in a 101-95 loss to Greece in the semifinals. Though they didn't win the top prize, there were signs that they were back on the right path. They won most of their games by 25 points or more, and defeated the defending world champions to win the bronze.

As the 2008 Summer Games approached, Coach K’s next mission was to prepare Team USA for the battle to earn their spot in Beijing. With players dedicating three years to the development of the team and more time for training camp, entered the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament ready to prove regain the throne.

More on Team USA
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This Is Our Team: Carlos Boozer

Hotnix — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:34:42 GMT

His fierce determination got him from the wilds of Alaska to the world’s stage. But will it be enough to get him to the top of that podium?

He’s one of the biggest threats in the NBA. His left hand is as powerful as his right, his strength equal to his size, and his shooting deadly in almost every situation. But what is it that turns a man like Boozer into such a dominating force on the court?

According to Carlos, it was his father.

Growing up in Alaska, Carlos’ father was a dedicated coach, driving him to an outdoor court every day after school to practice. Rain, sleet or snow, they developed his raw talent into natural instinct, overcoming difficulties with a tireless determination. His dad made sure there were no weak spots in his game – even going so far as to tie down his right hand, turning his weak left into a major weapon.

All through high school, Carlos forced himself to work through the cold Alaskan seasons. Before long, his physical and mental game grew incredibly tough, able to withstand anything his opponents – or mother nature – could throw at him. By his senior year, Carlos was an aggressive force that few had ever seen, and ready to take the world by storm.

Soon, colleges around the country were battling it out for his attention. After much discussion with his father, it was Coach Krzyzewski at Duke – currently the head coach of Team USA – who was entrusted with Carlos’ future. And the pairing paid off quickly: the Blue Devils won the National title that year, and he decided to declare for the 2002 NBA Draft.

Boozer spent two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, steadily growing alongside LeBron James. But it wasn’t until 2004, when he joined the Utah Jazz, that he truly came into his own, establishing himself as one of the best power forwards in the league. Fans, teammates, and coaches started to realize just how big a threat he was – and how far he could potentially go.

By the 2007-08 season, Boozer was showing signs of a budding NBA legend. He was voted an NBA All-Star two years in a row, named the Western Conference Player of the Month, and was among the league’s top five performers in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.

On top of all that, his incredible dexterity has made him one of the NBA’s most threatening post players – something that can be attributed to those cold afternoons in Juneau.

This year, as the Summer Games draw near, Team USA will need to rely on Boozer’s toughness on the court. His physical size and strength, coupled with his mental fierceness, will be enough to tackle any opponent – but for Carlos, he was taught early on that it takes more than that to win.

“You can do whatever you want to do,” said Carlos, “if you have the heart and passion to go after it.”

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