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Carlos Boozer names two legends as his toughest matchups: "If you don't know who he is, go look him up"
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- Carlos Boozer names two legends as his toughest matchups: "If you don't know who he is, go look him up"
It's not crazy to say that Carlos Boozer had himself a pretty solid NBA career, underrated even.
The second-overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Boozer had two solid seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers before blossoming into a legitimate All-Star and All-NBA-caliber player during his time with the Utah Jazz . Between 2006 and 2008, Boozer was averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds and was leading the Jazz to deep postseason runs alongside fellow All-Star Deron Williams .
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Following a solid six-year stint in Utah, Boozer went to Chicago and was again a solid frontcourt presence for the title-contending Bulls , where he played alongside the likes of Derrick Rose , Joakim Noah , and Luol Deng . Even though he wasn't putting up 20 points a night, he was still a solid piece for the Bulls, as he averaged 15.5 points and nine rebounds as he helped Chicago become a perennial playoff team.
After four years in the Windy City, Boozer wrapped up his career with the Los Angeles Lakers , where he was still able to average 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while mostly coming off the bench.
Throughout his 13-year NBA career, wherein he averaged 16.2 points and 9.5 boards a game, there's no doubt that the bruising 6-foot-9 big man was a handful for defenders down low.
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But he also got to test himself against some of the league's best giants and he named two legends as his toughest matchups.
Boozer's biggest tests
Carlos played in an era where the power forward position featured some of the best players in history and fortunately…or unfortunately for him, he got to bang bodies with some of the league's greatest big men. As for his toughest matchups, however, two champions and MVPs stood out.
"Two guys that were nightmares for me matchup-wise were Kevin Garnett in his Minnesota years," Boozer said in a recent Reddit Ask-Me-Anything session. "I mean, Big Ticket was 7'1" and could do everything. The post-up game, mid-range game, play defense."
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Apart from the obvious greatness on offense and defense, Garnett was also known to be a world-class trash-talker and Boozer can attest to that.
"He was the best defensive big I ever played against. He can guard 1 through 5, and guess what? He let you know about it the whole game, so you had to hear about it," Boozer added.
The other nightmare matchup for Boozer was less of a down-low player and more of a sniper from the outside.
"The second guy would be Dirk Nowitzki ," Boozer revealed. "I mean, I know it's not like the sexy Kobe Bryants and LeBrons. That wasn't my matchup. My matchup was the power forward, so I went against, like, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett and Ben Wallace and I'm telling you, Dirk Nowitzki was just as good as all of them."
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Nowitzki was a sweet-shooting seven-footer who had range and an unstoppable fadeaway jumper.
"He can shoot a 3, he can go by you. You saw him carry the Dallas Mavericks past the loaded Miami Heat team with the Big 3 in the Finals. Dirk Nowitzki, if you don't know who he is, go look him up," Boozer continued.
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Holding his own
While Garnett and Nowitzki had comparatively better careers, it's fair to say that Boozer was able to hold his own against two of the league's best.
In fact, Boozer actually had the better record in his head-to-head against Garnett. In the 28 games they played against each other, Boozer won 17 of those games, while Garnett won just 11.
The averages aren't far off either, with Garnett going for 16.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks, while Boozer posted averages of 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and two assists. It's also worth noting that Boozer outscored Garnett 14 times in those matchups.
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Against Nowitzki, it was a different story.
In 24 games played between Boozer and Nowitzki, the latter was dominant, with 17 wins. The scoring also went in favor of Nowitzki, with the Mavericks icon averaging 24.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks. Boozer, on the other hand, averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Nowitzki also outscored Boozer in 16 games.
Related: Kevin Garnett shares why LeBron James reuniting with the Cavaliers is the most obvious move
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
