There’s a fairly straightforward case to be made that former Duke standout Cameron Boozer the No. 3 overall pick was the most valuable player at Summer League. He did exactly what he always does, making an immediate winning impact for the Memphis Grizzlies and carrying the team all the way to the Summer League championship game, where they narrowly fell to the Golden State Warriors.
Over six contests in Vegas, he posted Boozer-esque numbers: 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per night.
On Monday, ESPN’s Ben Golliver made that very case, naming Boozer as his Summer League MVP in his superlatives column from Las Vegas.
When Boozer was asked after Sunday’s loss to the Warriors whether he thought he deserved the MVP honor, he didn’t hold back. His response was exactly what Duke fans would have predicted:
“We lost,” Boozer said. “You can’t win MVP unless you win.”
Grizzlies supporters are now getting their first real glimpse of Cameron Boozer’s championship mindset
Duke fans already know well what individual recognition means to Boozer in the wake of a tough loss. He sat through the Wooden Award ceremony after Duke’s Elite Eight defeat to UConn in the NCAA Tournament, and he clearly would have preferred to be absolutely anywhere else than standing at that microphone.
That’s simply how he’s built.
Personal accolades hold value, but they don’t compare to the team success Boozer truly desires.
Even in what wound up being a relatively inconsequential event in Las Vegas one that few will recall the outcome of in a few years Boozer was desperate to come out on top. He’s a fierce competitor who wants to win every single contest he enters.
Winning is just what he does. That’s his greatest strength, the quality that distinguishes him from his contemporaries.
It came as no shock that Boozer guided the Grizzlies to the Summer League title game in his first and almost certainly last appearance in the Las Vegas event. The only real surprise was that Memphis couldn’t close the deal against Golden State, squandering a double-digit lead and falling just short.
Still, it offers a preview of what Grizzlies fans can anticipate moving ahead. Memphis probably won’t contend for an NBA championship in Boozer’s rookie season, but they’re going to be further along than most analysts predict.
And eventually, banners will be raised.
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