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JAZZ-BEEN
After departing Cleveland a rich and healthy player on the rise, Utah forward Carlos Boozer's fortunes -- and both teams' fans -- have turned against him
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter
At this rate, the Cavaliers and their fans might never be mollified in the matter of Carlos Boozer.
Boozer slipped out of town in the summer of 2004 un der a cloud of duplicity. The Cavaliers thought they had an understanding with Boozer that he would stay in Cleveland long term, but the restricted free agent instead opted for a lucrative contract offer from the Utah Jazz.
The Cavaliers' organization, unable to exceed the salary cap to match because of Boozer's "non-Bird" restricted-free agent status, lost a potential running mate for LeBron James. Its fans also felt "bamboozered" and lashed out at the player, saying, among other things, that they could not wait until he returned to Cleveland so they could tell him what they really think.
The wait drags on.
Given that Utah plays in the Western Conference, it visits Cleveland only once per season. Boozer missed last season's game at Gund Arena, a 92-73 victory for the Cavaliers on March 15, because of a sore foot.
He will miss tonight's game at The Q because of a strained left hamstring, which he originally pulled Oct. 6. The injury should keep him sidelined until at least January.
Assuming Boozer watches the game on TV tonight, he likely will do so not from anywhere in Utah, but from somewhere on the property of his 10-bedroom, 13-bathroom, $8.5 million mansion near Malibu, Calif. -- an acquisition made possible by his six-year, $70 million Jazz contract.
James, asked Monday if Cavaliers fans ever will get over Boozer, needed approximately 1/100th of a second to ponder.
"Uh, no," James said. "I think the first time he comes here to play, he's going to get a nice round of booz. Maybe without the z.' But he'll get the boo."
Boozer has faced the Cavaliers once, Jan. 15 in Salt Lake City. He scored 12 points, but James had 27 in leading the Cavaliers to an 84-71 victory. James said he and his teammates will have no problem with Boozer when he eventually returns to Cleveland.
Page 2 of 2
"We'll welcome him back with open arms," James said. "We had a great time. There's no reason to pout about what happened. He moved on, we moved on."
It has been an interesting post-Cleveland experience for Boozer. He spends as much time, if not more, in California while rehabilitating under the care of his hand-picked specialists. When Boozer showed up for Utah home games last week, reporters did double-takes. They had not seen him since mid-November.
Cavaliers faithful still bitter at Boozer will be pleased to know that his routine absences have made Jazz fans' hearts grow colder. They did not take it well when news of Boozer's mansion purchase hit soon after he re-injured the hamstring in mid-November, an injury that occurred after he had been day to day since it flared up during practice at the end of October.
In the wake of the most recent setback, the Jazz called a news conference to assure an increasingly skeptical public that Boozer really, really was injured. Kevin O'Connor, Jazz vice president of basketball operations, and Dr. Lyle Mason, team orthopedist, said the proof could be found in the MRI exams, and that hamstrings are temperamental by nature. Boozer did not attend.
While the experts evidently made a convincing case, Jazz fans can be excused for having prompted such damage control in the first place. They have grown impatient waiting for Boozer to get back to earning his cash, and impatience breeds cynicism.
Boozer has not appeared in a game that matters since limping off the court Feb. 14 at Phoenix, the result of a strained right foot. It ended his first season with Utah at 51 games, played to mixed reviews. Boozer had started strongly but slumped badly enough that, in early February, owner Larry Miller cracked him publicly for insufficient effort and toughness.
Miller and Boozer made peace the next day, and the front office and coaches have been firmly behind him since.
The day after last season ended, Boozer informed reporters the foot was healed and he was ready to go. By all accounts, Boozer came into camp this fall in terrific shape, only to get waylaid by the hamstring.
No sympathetic cries were heard in Cleveland.
After departing Cleveland a rich and healthy player on the rise, Utah forward Carlos Boozer's fortunes -- and both teams' fans -- have turned against him
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter
At this rate, the Cavaliers and their fans might never be mollified in the matter of Carlos Boozer.
Boozer slipped out of town in the summer of 2004 un der a cloud of duplicity. The Cavaliers thought they had an understanding with Boozer that he would stay in Cleveland long term, but the restricted free agent instead opted for a lucrative contract offer from the Utah Jazz.
The Cavaliers' organization, unable to exceed the salary cap to match because of Boozer's "non-Bird" restricted-free agent status, lost a potential running mate for LeBron James. Its fans also felt "bamboozered" and lashed out at the player, saying, among other things, that they could not wait until he returned to Cleveland so they could tell him what they really think.
The wait drags on.
Given that Utah plays in the Western Conference, it visits Cleveland only once per season. Boozer missed last season's game at Gund Arena, a 92-73 victory for the Cavaliers on March 15, because of a sore foot.
He will miss tonight's game at The Q because of a strained left hamstring, which he originally pulled Oct. 6. The injury should keep him sidelined until at least January.
Assuming Boozer watches the game on TV tonight, he likely will do so not from anywhere in Utah, but from somewhere on the property of his 10-bedroom, 13-bathroom, $8.5 million mansion near Malibu, Calif. -- an acquisition made possible by his six-year, $70 million Jazz contract.
James, asked Monday if Cavaliers fans ever will get over Boozer, needed approximately 1/100th of a second to ponder.
"Uh, no," James said. "I think the first time he comes here to play, he's going to get a nice round of booz. Maybe without the z.' But he'll get the boo."
Boozer has faced the Cavaliers once, Jan. 15 in Salt Lake City. He scored 12 points, but James had 27 in leading the Cavaliers to an 84-71 victory. James said he and his teammates will have no problem with Boozer when he eventually returns to Cleveland.
Page 2 of 2
"We'll welcome him back with open arms," James said. "We had a great time. There's no reason to pout about what happened. He moved on, we moved on."
It has been an interesting post-Cleveland experience for Boozer. He spends as much time, if not more, in California while rehabilitating under the care of his hand-picked specialists. When Boozer showed up for Utah home games last week, reporters did double-takes. They had not seen him since mid-November.
Cavaliers faithful still bitter at Boozer will be pleased to know that his routine absences have made Jazz fans' hearts grow colder. They did not take it well when news of Boozer's mansion purchase hit soon after he re-injured the hamstring in mid-November, an injury that occurred after he had been day to day since it flared up during practice at the end of October.
In the wake of the most recent setback, the Jazz called a news conference to assure an increasingly skeptical public that Boozer really, really was injured. Kevin O'Connor, Jazz vice president of basketball operations, and Dr. Lyle Mason, team orthopedist, said the proof could be found in the MRI exams, and that hamstrings are temperamental by nature. Boozer did not attend.
While the experts evidently made a convincing case, Jazz fans can be excused for having prompted such damage control in the first place. They have grown impatient waiting for Boozer to get back to earning his cash, and impatience breeds cynicism.
Boozer has not appeared in a game that matters since limping off the court Feb. 14 at Phoenix, the result of a strained right foot. It ended his first season with Utah at 51 games, played to mixed reviews. Boozer had started strongly but slumped badly enough that, in early February, owner Larry Miller cracked him publicly for insufficient effort and toughness.
Miller and Boozer made peace the next day, and the front office and coaches have been firmly behind him since.
The day after last season ended, Boozer informed reporters the foot was healed and he was ready to go. By all accounts, Boozer came into camp this fall in terrific shape, only to get waylaid by the hamstring.
No sympathetic cries were heard in Cleveland.
