Boucher says Raptors will surprise everybody this year
Long before Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher was a two-time NBA champion, he was just a kid in Montreal trying to find his way in the world.
Boucher, who was born in St. Lucia before moving to Canada, struggled with homelessness and initially dropped out of high school before eventually joining a local prep program once his talent was identified while playing pickup games.
This week, while in Montreal to receive a Montreal Community Cares award for his work with local communities, Boucher spoke about why giving back to his adopted hometown has been so important to him.
“I see a lot of kids are similar to me,” Boucher told TSN 690 earlier this week. “I kind of feel for them, because I understand the grind of the parents, the grind of the kids having, you know, to make it with what they have. And obviously, I believe in the talent in Montreal. I believe in the culture. I believe in everything that Montreal is doing, and I think that they just need the resources. They need role models. They need the opportunity. I think that’s something that I’m able to give now, and that’s why I’m pushing that much for those kids in Montreal now, because, I mean, I see myself in them every time that I go there.”
Boucher played at New Mexico and Northwest Junior Colleges before eventually starring at the University of Oregon. He went undrafted in 2017, signed with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way contract, and was a part of their 2018 championship before landing with the Raptors the following offseason.
“I remember, like, as a kid, if you tell your parents you’ll make it to the NBA in two, three years, and you’re 16, it was kind of hard for them to believe that, and they probably would want you to find a job and all that and believe in something that was more [realistic]… I think that people are starting to believe in a lot more with the opportunities and the people that are working extremely hard to give them a chance,” Boucher added.
With 26 players born in Canada making the opening night NBA roster last year, Boucher said there’s more opportunity than ever for players from Montreal or elsewhere to make it pro.
“The door is way wide open. There’s talent everywhere. They need the opportunity, and they need support. And I think that we’re having a lot more guys that are able to do that now and support them. [My advice?] Work hard. I mean, do the right things. And obviously, I think things will take care of themselves,” Boucher added.
As for this year’s Raptors team, Boucher has high hopes after the team finished 12th in the Eastern Conference last season.
“We’ve been through a lot of situations, so it’s really showing these kids how to get better. And obviously, I think the Raptors’ [front office] are doing a wonderful job to bring the pieces that we need. So we will definitely be a surprise,” he added.
Boucher, it should be noted, is 31 years old and perhaps a little closer to the “veteran” tag than the kid role.
Identifying Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley as three of the team’s leaders, Boucher said the team has been practicing together in both formal and informal workouts this offseason. And though the team has a long way to go to become a championship contender, Boucher says the workouts are reminding him a bit of the team’s 2019 title run, of which he is the last remaining player still with the franchise.
“We’re putting a lot of work in this summer. We spend a lot of time together, and not even with the Raptors setting it up,” Boucher added. “I think we’re doing it off the court, too, and that’s an amazing thing. I think that’s how it happened when we won the first championship with Fred [VanVleet] and all that. When Kawhi [Leonard] came in, there was a lot of work that we’ve done during the summer, and we got to where we need to be. So we’re doing the same thing right now. And like I said, we’re pretty young, so it’s always amazing to see what we can get.”
- You might also like:
- Raptors will need to make multiple moves to trim down roster