ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – When Duke University ideas off Thursday morning in opposition to Siena within the NCAA Division I match, Carlos and Renee Boozer plan to be watching — and so they received’t be alone.
Back in Juneau, the place their son Carlos Boozer Jr. as soon as honed the talents that carried him to a nationwide faculty championship, a Hall of Fame profession, and an Olympic gold medal, the Boozers say all the group has rallied across the subsequent era: twin brothers Cayden and Cameron Boozer, each freshmen taking part in for the Blue Devils.
“Everywhere we go, we hear somebody,” Renee mentioned in an interview with Alaska’s News Source from Juneau. “People come up to us and say, ‘Hey … we watched them play.’”
“Our next-door neighbor says, ‘I saw your grandkids playing last night,’” Carlos Sr. added. “It’s a small community so everybody knows everybody.
“The community is involved.”
Continuing the Blue Devils legacy
The Boozer household’s connection to Duke runs deep — and it begins in Alaska.
Carlos Sr. and Renee’s son Carlos Boozer Jr. grew to become some of the embellished prep gamers in Alaska historical past. A four-year varsity participant at Juneau-Douglas High School, he led his groups to a 95-12 report and back-to-back state championships in 1997 and 1998.
After signing with Duke, Boozer performed for the Blue Devils from 1999 to 2002, incomes first-team All-ACC and third-team All-American honors.
He was a part of the 2001 nationwide championship group earlier than being chosen within the second spherical of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the place he went on to earn two All-Star alternatives throughout a 13-year skilled profession.
In September 2025, Boozer was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — the primary Alaskan basketball participant ever to obtain that honor — as a part of the 2008 U.S. Olympic “Redeem Team” that received gold on the Beijing Olympics.
“It’s everything to me,” Boozer mentioned on the ceremony. “I wouldn’t be there without the people that supported me along the way.”
Now, 24 years after their father final performed at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Cayden and Cameron Boozer are sporting the identical Duke uniform.
“It’s the third generation now,” Carlos Sr. mentioned about his grandsons. “Whoever thought a young kid from Juneau, Alaska, would create something like this? It’s just awesome.”
Top-ranked recruits observe father’s footsteps
When the twins committed to Duke in October 2024, they had been among the many most coveted recruits within the nation.
Cameron, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound ahead, was ranked the No. 2 prospect within the nation.
Cayden, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard, was ranked No. 21.
They had been the primary commitments in Duke’s 2025 recruiting class.
“I’m proud of them. They’ve worked their butts off for this moment,” Carlos Boozer Jr. mentioned in an interview with ESPN on the time of the dedication. “They made the best decision for them. Me and mom couldn’t be any prouder.”
Renee Boozer mentioned watching her grandsons has stirred deep feelings.
“I do a lot of crying,” she mentioned. “I can’t help it. It does remind me of what we went through with Carlos. But it’s our legacy — it’s our grandchildren — and they’re doing so wonderful. It’s just pure joy.”
Both twins have made an impression for the top-seeded Blue Devils, however Cayden has drawn consideration after being thrust into the place to begin guard position — a place the household didn’t anticipate him to tackle this quickly.
“We thought Cayden would probably be waiting until next year before he got his opportunity to really show that he can run the team at that caliber,” Carlos Sr. mentioned. “He kind of got thrown into the fire, but I think he will be able to step up and show that he can handle it.”
Cameron, in the meantime, has impressed together with his athleticism across the basket and leads Duke in factors, rebounds, and assists per recreation this season.
His grandfather admitted to sending real-time textual content messages to his son Carlos Jr. throughout video games with unsolicited — however apparently efficient — recommendation.
“I’ll text him real quick and give him my thoughts,” Carlos Sr. mentioned with fun. “I said, ‘Cammy just needs to dunk the ball’ … and then Cammy went up and slammed it. Carlos wrote me back and said, ‘Hey, Pops, you were right on that one.’”
Family assist system
The twins’ growth has been a household effort. Renee credited CeCe Boozer, the boys’ mom, because the driving pressure behind their work ethic.
“You’ve got to give CeCe the props, because she’s the one that’s always talking and pushing them and trying to get them going,” Carlos Sr. mentioned.
Carlos Jr. has additionally labored instantly together with his sons on their expertise, and the boys’ uncle, Charles Boozer, has joined in exercises as effectively.
Carlos Sr. acknowledged his personal teaching days are behind him.
“My skills and the things that I taught Carlos are so outdated compared to what they’re learning today,” he mentioned. “I’m not in their ear — but they know that we care.”
The recreation has modified — however the ardour hasn’t
Carlos Sr. famous that faculty basketball appears to be like completely different than it did when his son performed within the early 2000s.
“Basketball has changed. In my opinion, it’s more of a finesse game than it was back in the day,” he mentioned. “If you just touch a guy a little bit, the whistle blows today.
“Back then, you had to throw a guy to the ground before they’d whistle. The game is a lot faster — more jump shots outside than going to the basket.”
Still, he mentioned the electrical energy of faculty basketball — particularly inside Cameron Indoor Stadium — stays unmatched.
“Cameron’s the best. Just the best,” Renee mentioned. “The way the kids stand up the entire game, the signs they come up with — they even had one that said ‘Boozer Cruiser’ with Cameron and Cayden’s picture on a sailboat. It’s so cool.”
A group behind them
The Boozer household’s bond with Juneau has by no means pale. Carlos Jr. has returned to Alaska many instances to host basketball camps, and at his Hall of Fame induction he credited the town with shaping who he grew to become.
“Coming from Washington, D.C., all the way to Alaska, the community embraced our family and took us in,” Carlos Jr. mentioned in September. “They helped raise me as a son, taught me what it meant to be a Crimson Bear, and I wore that for the rest of my career.”
That connection is alive and effectively because the twins take the court docket.
Duke enters the match as a No. 1 seed, however Carlos Sr. shouldn’t be taking something without any consideration. He pointed to a tricky East Region bracket that features packages led by coaches who’ve beforehand received nationwide championships.
“For Duke to go through that and come out on the other side and make it to the Final Four — that’s a big accomplishment by itself, just to beat those type of teams,” he mentioned. “Even though we’re number one, you’ve got to remember, we just barely got past Michigan State hitting a shot in the last minute.”
If Duke does advance to the Final Four, the grandparents haven’t any intention of watching from Juneau.
“Of course we’re going down south to watch,” Carlos Sr. mentioned. “That’s not even a question.”
Editor’s word: This story has been up to date to make clear that Cameron and Cayden Boozer are the second era of Boozers to attend Duke University, not the third.
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