The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t just use the third overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Duke star Cameron Boozer. They also handed him a platform, and he’s already using it to talk big about what comes next.
Memphis is entering a messy offseason after deciding to move on from Ja Morant on Tuesday, and there are still plenty of tough calls ahead. But Boozer’s arrival gives the franchise a real jolt, at least on paper, and it puts the Grizzlies in a much better place than they were before the draft.
Boozer, though, isn’t interested in shrinking the conversation. He made it clear in a recent appearance on the Chris Vernon Show that he thinks people are underestimating what this group can do.
"We are a team who is going to really surprise people this year," Boozer said in a recent interview on the Chris Vernon Show. "We are going to be shockingly good to people. I think people don't really understand that just because obviously it was kind of a rebuild, but you look at the players we have, the roster [and] who we are bringing in this year, and I think we are going to have something pretty special."
That’s a bold line for a rookie, but it’s not hard to see where the confidence comes from. The Grizzlies have a path to becoming a strong team down the road, and Boozer is now the kind of player who could shape that outcome almost immediately.
Whether Memphis is actually a decent team this season remains to be seen. But Boozer’s role will matter a lot, maybe more than anything else on the roster. If he brings the same kind of player the college game saw at Duke, the Grizzlies at least have a real chance to be above average.
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Dukes recent run across its biggest sports has kept Nina King in the spotlight, and the numbers help explain why. After moving up from senior deputy director to athletic director, King has overseen a department that keeps showing up near the top of the national conversation, with CBS Sports ranking the Blue Devils within the top 20 Power Four schools for the 2025-26 academic year based on conference titles and postseason berths.
Just as important for Dukes long-term outlook, King has built a reputation for creating a place that draws in high-level coaches in football, mens basketball and womens basketball. The combination has given the Blue Devils a steady competitive edge across the board, and it has made her one of the more influential figures in the ACC even as the programs biggest decisions continue to carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Former Duke Standout Theo Winegar Wins At Wimbledon
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Their opening-round win over Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus moved them into the second round, where a much tougher test awaits against the No. 9 seeded duo of Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. For Duke followers, it is another reminder that Winegars transition from college star to tour regular is still gathering speed, and Wimbledon now gets to see how far it can go. [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Boozer Just Gave Duke Fans Another Reason To Feel Validated
Cameron Boozer left Duke with the kind of freshman season that tends to reassure everyone involved: elite production, major honors and a clear sense that he belonged on the biggest stage in college basketball. He piled up 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, earned All-American recognition and took home the Naismith College Player of the Year award, all while helping push Duke to a 35-3 record and an Elite Eight run.
Now, at his introductory press conference, Boozer was already sounding like a player who sees the college stop as more than just a bridge to the next level. He expressed confidence in his NBA readiness and pointed to both his Duke experience and his high school background as reasons for that belief, another reminder that the Blue Devils' recent pipeline continues to do exactly what fans hope it will. [Read more 🡒]