Chris Boucher

Chris Boucher is not a UFC athlete, but a renowned basketball player who plays as a power forward / center for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The information presented below will focus on his life and career in basketball.

Born on January 11, 1993, in Castries, Saint Lucia, Chris came from humble beginnings. His family moved to Montreal, Quebec, when he was 5. Raised in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, he never played organized basketball until he was 19. Before discovering his potential in the sport, Boucher was a cook and a dishwasher in a Montreal restaurant.

Despite his late introduction to the sport, Boucher’s undeniable talent and towering height of 6’9” caught the attention of Igor Rwigema and Ibrahim Appiah, the founders of Alma Academy, a program in Quebec focusing on academic and athletic development. Recognizing his potential, Rwigema and Appiah guided Boucher in polishing his skills and understanding the sport better.

Boucher started to make some noise in 2013 when he played for the New Mexico Junior College, earning an average of 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He transferred to Northwest College in Wyoming after a year and took his game to the next level by averaging 22.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. His performance earned him the NJCAA Region IX Player of the Year in 2015.

His exceptional performances caught the eye of several Division I schools, and he eventually committed to the University of Oregon. Boucher had two prolific seasons with Oregon, setting a Ducks’ single-season record of 110 shot blocks in his first year.

In 2017, his promising career was halted by an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, causing him to miss valuable time in his senior season. Despite this setback, he declared for the 2017 NBA Draft but went undrafted. On July 14, 2017, Chris signed with the Golden State Warriors for his rookie season, but spent most of the year with their G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

In 2018, Boucher signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, splitting his time between Toronto and their G-League affiliate, the Raptors 905. He became a key player for Raptors 905, earning the G-League Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards, becoming the first player in history to win both honors in the same season.

In February 2019, he secured a standard NBA contract with the Raptors and was part of the team that clinched the 2019 NBA Championship, the first in Raptors’ franchise history.

In the 2019-2020 season, Boucher had his breakout year, recording career highs in points, rebounds, and blocked shots. His hard work paid off when the Raptors re-signed him to a two-year contract worth $13.5 million.

Despite his late start, Chris Boucher embodies perseverance and resilience, proving that it’s never too late to chase a dream. From washing dishes to becoming a basketball star, he has indeed made a significant leap in his career. He now stands as a testament to the power of determination, hard work, and unwavering belief in oneself.

In the years to come, fans are looking forward to seeing how Chris Boucher develops into one of the most exciting personalities in the NBA, as he continues to make his mark on the court with his phenomenal basketball prowess.