As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Cameron Boozer joins the Memphis Grizzlies after a historic freshman campaign at Duke.
Boozer was the consensus National Player of the Year, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 39.1% from 3-point range. He is the only freshman in history to tally at least 700 points, 300 rebounds and 100 assists in a single season.
The 6-foot-8 Boozer ranked second in the country in points (855), second in field goals (290), third in rebounds (389) and fifth in free throws (221). He was also tied for the most double-doubles with 22, becoming just the second Duke freshman to reach that total in a season.
Boozer is the second player drafted with the No. 3 pick in franchise history. He
is one of seven Blue Devils to be selected third, joining Christian Laettner (1992), Grant Hill (1994), Mike Dunleavy Jr. (2002), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Jayson Tatum (2017) and RJ Barrett (2019).
The son of former 13-year veteran Carlos Boozer debuted with the Grizzlies in summer league, averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals. He was named to the All-Summer League first team, ranking second in points (111) among all players in Las Vegas.
Boozer is the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year after a dazzling showing in the desert. He enters next season with tremendous hype and should be in store for a productive year.
Throughout September, Rookie Wire is compiling some of the most interesting facts about each first-round pick in an effort to further introduce the incoming draft class ahead of the 2026-27 season
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Cayden
Boozer played basketball with his twin brother, Cayden, at Christoper Columbus High School (Miami, Florida) and at Duke. While Cameron elected to enter the 2026 NBA draft as a projected top-five pick, Cayden announced in April that he would return to Duke for his sophomore year.
Cameron and Cayden were conceived via in vitro fertilization as bone-marrow matches to help save the life of their older brother, Carmani, who was born with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder. Carmani was later declared to be cured of the disease by doctors.
High School
Boozer was a three-time Florida Mr. Basketball selection in high school and was the youngest player ever (15) to be named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, an honor he won twice. He and Cayden led the Explorers to four straight state championships and a national title at the Chipotle Nationals in 2025. He also competed in the Hoophall Classic, McDonald's All-American Game and Nike Hoop Summit.
No. 27
Boozer wore No. 12 in high school and college, but he was forced to change jersey numbers when he joined the Grizzlies because it was occupied by Ja Morant at the time. He initially tossed around a few possibilities on draft night, including Nos. 2 or 21. Instead, he pivoted away from those two choices and selected another number to honor his mother, CeCe.
“The No. 27, my mom wore it in college playing volleyball," Boozer said during an introductory press conference in Memphis on June 25. "So that’s why I chose that number.”
Cello
Boozer started playing the cello in fourth grade and has performed in a community orchestra in South Florida. He said around the draft that his favorite song to play is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," according to Sportico.
USA Basketball
Boozer has represented USA Basketball twice at the junior level, winning gold medals in both the 2024 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship. He was the MVP and an All-Star Five selection in both tournaments.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 5 fun facts: Get to know Grizzlies' Cameron Boozer before 2026-27 season
