Boozer's dirty trick

Carlos Boozer has always been an exception to the rule.

Unlike many other former Duke basketball players, Boozer has overachieved in the NBA, becoming an all-star caliber player in only his second season. Overlooked until the second round of the 2002 NBA draft, Boozer finished fifth in the league in rebounding last year while also knocking in 15.5 points a game for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But Boozer seems to be different from Duke NBA players off the court, as well. Although Christian Laettner has failed NBA drug tests and Grant Hill left the Detroit Pistons in the prime of his career for no good reason, former Blue Devils, for the most part, have shown the type of character they demonstrated in Durham. Uncorrupted by fame and millions of dollars, Mike Krzyzewski’s former players have been known for their community service and commitment to charity rather than their propensity for criminal charges and greed.

Carlos Boozer's behavior this summer, however, can be described as nothing less than reprehensible in his business dealings with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The drama began when Boozer decided he deserved more money. Because he was only a second-round draft pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers could only pay Boozer several hundred thousand dollars a year under the NBA’s rookie salary cap rules.

According to Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund, Boozer first approached the ownership about his desires for financial security and to remain in Cleveland for the duration of his career in December 2003.

“[Boozer] and his agent made it very clear that if we respected them, and provided the security he was looking to gain, he would respect us,” wrote Gund in a letter to Cavalier fans dated July 14, 2004. “Given his record on the court, with the franchise, and in the community, we had every reason to believe his commitment.”

This summer, Gund and the Cavaliers’ general manager, Jim Paxson, gave Boozer two options. The first was to play out his original contract, which ended at the conclusion of the 2005 season. After the season, Cleveland would then let Boozer test the free agent market while also offering the former Duke center the NBA maximum. Boozer’s second choice was to terminate the option on his current contract and sign a long-term deal with the Cavaliers for the maximum as soon as possible. Paxson, wary of ending Boozer's current contract for fear that the Duke alumnus would sign with another team, told the two-year veteran, “There are at least seven teams that have cap space right now who will want to pay you more than we can now. We don’t want to lose you. Why would we not pick up the option?”

According to Gund, Boozer's answer to Paxson was that he wanted to end his current contract “because we’d like long term security and we want to stay in Cleveland.” Boozer has never denied Gund’s account.

So ridiculous was Boozer’s behavior that his agent, Rob Pelinka, refused to represent Boozer in the future. Pelinka claimed to be on the Cavaliers’ side and was confused as to why Boozer did not honor his verbal agreement. In addition, after hearing the full story, Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller reportedly considered finding a way to send Boozer back to the Cavaliers.

In his business dealings this summer, Boozer let down not only all Cavaliers fans, but all those who looked up to the prolific rebounder for his commendable citizenship. I personally interviewed Boozer several times during his junior season at Duke, and the 6-foot-9 Alaska native even agreed to talk with me in the midst of his final season with the Cavaliers. In all my conversations with Boozer, he was as polite and considerate as any person I had ever talked with.

On Cleveland local television, young children cried when they learned about Boozer’s departure. Boozer read to children in the community and seemed like he really cared about all those around him. In just two years he had become a beloved figure in a city loyal to its hard-working athletes. But Boozer showed everyone that a few bucks was worth more to him than being a hero.