From a second round pick to the Rockets Nightmare, he defeated Yao Mai with 24.6 points and 11 rebounds! Redefine the number four position?

The 2002 second round pick wrote the legend of "reverse counterattack" with a 13-year career - from the Cavaliers abandoning the player to the Jazz core, from the Rockets' "confidential trouble" in the playoffs to the CBA champion chaser, his story is always accompanied by the interweaving of talent and controversy. In the 2002 draft, Boozer was selected by the Cavaliers with the 6th pick in the second round, and this draft position gave him a strong proof of his desire to start his career. His rookie season averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and James's arrival in 2003 became a catalyst for his explosion. In the 2004 season, Boozer averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, with only 0.1 fewer rebounds than O'Neal, ranking 6th in the league and successfully selected for the American Dream Team.

What really put him in a public opinion storm was the "departure-breaking incident" in the summer of 2004. The Cavaliers promised a 6-year, 41 million verbal agreement was torn apart by Boozer, who joined the Jazz for 68 million 6 years, becoming the first star in NBA history to openly turn a verbal contract. Although this behavior has been controversial, it has won him a stage to prove himself - Salt Lake City's "Black and White Double Evil" era has come to an end, and the pick-and-roll legend belonging to Boozer is about to begin.

The joining of Deron Williams in 2005 allowed Boozer to find the best partner in his career. In Coach Sloan's "Pick-and-roll first" tactical system, Boozer's technical characteristics are infinitely magnified:

Offensive end: balanced back-to-body singles with left and right hands, accurate mid-range jump shots (46.2% in career shooting percentage), and solid pick-and-roll ended, allowing him to average 20.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in the 2006-07 season, and was selected as the All-Star for the first time.

Playoff dominance: In the first round of 2007, Boozer averaged 24.6 points, 11 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game. Yao Ming suffered with his front-circling defense and low posts, leading the team to eliminate his opponents in 7 games. The following year in the playoffs, Yao Ming was reimbursed due to injury, and Boozer once again led the team to advance in 6 games with 20.9 points and 12.3 rebounds, becoming the "intellectual demon" for Rockets fans for ten years.

data confirms his tactical value: when Boozer and Deron pick-and-roll, the Jazz scored 1.18 points per round (PPP), which was 82% higher than the league's pick-and-roll combination; his back-to-back singles efficiency (1.05 points per round) is ranked among the top three power forwards. Although the West was defeated by the Spurs in 2007, Boozer's name is firmly tied to the "Top Space Four".

After joining the Bulls in 2010, Boozer's tactical status changed with Rose's rise. Although he was still eye-catching with 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, under the "Derek Ross System", he lost his absolute core position during the Jazz era. In 2011, East lost to the Heat Big Three, making it the closest his career to the Finals. Since then, due to Ross' frequent injuries, the Bulls' record has declined, and Boozer has gradually become a role player.

When he joined the Lakers in 2014, the 33-year-old was no longer as brave as he was, and his average of 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game is hard to conceal the fact that his athletic ability has declined. After his NBA career in 2015, he switched to the CBA Guangdong team. Although he averaged 16.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, he was swept by Xinjiang in the finals and eventually retired with regret.