The average NBA career lasts about four years.
Carlos Boozer, a 1999 Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaat.at Kalé graduate, played in the Association for 13 seasons, spending more time on one of his stops — six years with the Utah Jazz — than most players do in their entire career.
Still, at the time the two-time NBA All-Star announced his retirement in December 2017, he was just 36, more than two decades away from the age when most people head into retirement.
The Empire spoke to Boozer by cellphone on Wednesday afternoon about his upcoming camp, and the opportunities he’s pursuing now that his NBA career is finished. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Your wife, Anishkah, gave birth to Bloom just a couple months ago. You were much younger and probably much busier when you had your three sons. What’s it been like to have another child when you’re not as busy with a professional basketball career?
A: When I was younger and I was playing in the NBA, during the season I didn’t even get a chance to enjoy every day with my kids. So I missed some time with my boys. They may have school plays or what have you, but now being retired I get a chance to see my older sons everyday, enjoy them and teach them everything. At the same time with Bloom, being 37, it’s a whole different experience than I’ve ever had before because I’m here, I’m retired, I don’t have practice every day, I don’t have to train every day. I get a chance to be at home and watch her discover her hand one week and discover her foot one week. And she’s my first daughter and she’s my wife’s first child as well. So to be able to see the excitement through her eyes has been pretty exciting for me as well.
Q: What are your main professional obligations these days?
A: I’m a broadcaster for NBA TV and TNT. I also do some stuff for ESPN and FOX. In business, I’ve opened up an investment firm called All-Star Investments. With All-Star Investments we do a lot of stuff from real estate to all type of avenues of business. My whole goal was for athletes to make the same kind of money that they make while they’re playing in the NBA after they play in the NBA.
Q: When did you start that?
A: It started it a few months ago. Obviously (in) real estate, you get your return back and it’s something tangible that you can see. So real estate is one of the best things (to invest in). I’m also going to be a part of a couple different projects that are actually in Juneau. Some very nice condos that are being built, I’m working out some of the paperwork on that right now.
And then other stuff, there’s a couple CBD things that are doing well, with cannabis business all over the place as it’s becoming legalized everywhere. There’s a lot of guys that want to get involved in that. As long as it’s legal and doing from an investment standpoint, we’ll be involved in that. There’s some other things going on where they’re bringing a baseball team to Portland. I’m also going to be a part of that.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.
