Setbacks and hurdles are no stranger to Chris Boucher, the Saint Lucian Canadian professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In fact, he has become accustomed to them and has courageously overcome every hurdle he has taken on his way, with the determination of a much older person. He has seen the good, the bad, and the terrible that seem to have come to test his determination.
Boucher drew from his stony past to help him through all adversity, and he has become a master in taking the bad things that happen in his life and turning them into the positive. Do you want to know how he managed all this? Read on to learn the juicy details about the life of the ruler forward.
Chris Boucher Bio
It is a product of many adversities, but against all odds, it sails effortlessly on the wings of success. From his birth on January 11, 1993, in Castries, St. Lucia, until his entry into the NBA, his story is full of twists and turns. However, these have only served to propel him to where he is now and have created a strong and solid foundation for a great career that lies ahead in the league.
He was born the son of Mary MacVane and a Canadian father, Jean-Guy Boucher. He has two siblings, a younger brother Maxime and a sister Christel. Boucher grew up on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucian until his mother took him to Montreal at the age of five to visit his father. However, the visit did not go as expected. His parents eventually went their separate ways, which alienated his father even further from him.
During his stay in Montreal, he lived in a gang-dominated neighborhood in the north of the city and spent his days playing soccer and ice hockey. Life there was marked by poverty and he had to leave Lavoie High School at the age of 16, in the 11th grade. He worked in St. Hubert’s rotisserie restaurant as a cook and dishwasher to earn extra money for his family. To pass the time and let go of his grief and worries, he spent his free time playing basketball in the neighborhood. Life was so turbulent for the young lad that he did not bother to make plans for the future.
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Finally, his skill in dunking paved the way for him when he was discovered by coaches Igor Rwigema and Ibrahim Appiah, who was impressed by his size (then 6’8?) and his performance in pickup basketball, where he scored 44 points in a tournament final. He was then offered a place on the AAU team at Alma Academy, Quebec. This spot gave Boucher the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. Over time, he attracted the interest of Division 1 college coaches when he scored 29 points and 12 rebounds in a game against Blair Academy in New Jersey. By this time, his dream of graduating from college was within reach.
College Career
He left the house he has known for a long time to play a season of college football at New Mexico Junior College, wondering if all the points that brought him to that point would eventually belong. There he averaged 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He then transferred to Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, where he continued his outstanding performance. He was named NJCAA Player of the Year and led the team to a 31-5 record.
Gradually the sun began to smile on Chris Boucher. After his time in Wyoming, he received offers from several D-1 universities, including the University of Oregon, Texas Christian University, the University of Minnesota, and Texas Tech. After a campus visit to Oregon, he decided to go to school and became one of the most fascinating players in the history of college basketball.
During his first year of study in Oregon, his rough and rail-slim stature caused concern to coach Dana Altman. But what he lacked in physique, he made up for with energy and natural skills. Chris Boucher averaged 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in his two-year career with the Ducks. He didn’t realize how good he had become in the hoops until he was called up to the Pac 12 defensive team after leading the conference in blocks of 2.6 per game in his senior year. Eventually, the points came together; a future in professional basketball awaited him.
In addition, he graduated in sociology in 2017 with a diploma and dares to dream. After his NBA phase, he hopes to forge a career as a therapist to help people who seemingly lead the same life as he did to find better ways.
Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About Chris Boucher
1. His Father Thought He Was Worthless
While Boucher was in Montreal, he moved back and forth between his mother and her boyfriend, who did not want to have him around after the age of 15 in order to put up with his father, who considered him worthless. In his father’s house, the duo often argued about his (Chris’) disorientation. The older Boucher regretted that he had left school at 14 to work. So he did not want his son to follow the same path, and his basketball game made things even worse.
With his father’s constant admonition that he can make a mess of his life if he wants to, Chris lost all hope of a bright future and sank deeper into a dubious existence, with his dream of ever achieving anything in his life thinning from day today.
Finally, Chris was discovered and left to play and study. His father told him that this was a chance for him to improve his life. And he did. Not only did he make his life better, but he also changed his father’s perspective on basketball.
2. He Almost Did Not Finish College
Chris came from Alma Prep School, where he was supposed to spend three years, but ended up spending only one year. Armed with persevering determination, he moved from there to New Mexico and finally ended up in Oregon. In Oregon, the question arose as to how long he would play with the Ducks, whether he would only stay for one year.
According to the NCAA’s draft authorization, all prospective intercollege athletes are required to submit a schedule of all their activities prior to the college competition. For Boucher, his schedule included a final year at high school as a junior in 2010/11, a year of inactivity in 2011/12, and a year that would be equivalent to postgraduate study, which included 13 competitive games in 2012/13. As a result, the NCAA declared him a senior instead of a junior, although he only played three years in his college career.
Hoping not only to extend his qualification but also to give him the opportunity to complete his studies and earn a degree that would change his life, Oregon requested a waiver on behalf of his only player and asked the NCAA for another year of qualification. The NCAA, whose mission statement states that “the student athlete’s educational experience is of paramount importance,” allowed this opportunity. He was granted a hardship waiver after the 2015-2016 season to play an additional season and complete his degree.
3. An Injury Reduced His Draftability
During the semi-final of the Pac 12 tournament against California on March 11, 2017, an opposing player fell on his leg. An MRI examination later revealed that he had torn a cruciate ligament, which ruled him out for the rest of the season. As he was already used to jumping over the hurdles that stood in his way, he was hopeful he was on his way to the draft, even though the injury injured his draft stick. He spent the NCAA tournament and the time before the NBA draft in rehab and eventually didn’t make the transition.
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4. Chris Boucher NBA Career
The Golden State Warriors signed a two-way contract with him as an undeveloped free agent in 2017, and in November 2017 he made his professional debut with the Santa Cruz Warriors, a G-League affiliated with the Golden State. He played 20 games in Santa Cruz and averaged 11.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. His first NBA game, which was his only game with the Golden State Warriors, took place on March 14, 2018, where he scored 1 rebound and 1 miss in a minute of play. A few months later, in June, the Warriors gave him up.
The following month, Chris Boucher signed with the Toronto Raptors as a freelancer.
5. Height, Weight
Although Chris Boucher is still gangly, this is no longer an issue as he has shown what he can do with his energy. Chris Boucher stands at 6 feet 11 inches and weighs 200 lb.