Chris Boucher - Toronto Raptors

The 2019/20 season of the Toronto Raptors is going beyond the brightest forecasts. The departure of Kawhi Leonard, the champion who had led the franchise to his first NBA title, seemed to have sentenced the Canadians to a long reconstruction phase, in which the Larry O'Brien Trophy would have been just a sweet memory, rather than a goal and short term. Instead, the team of coach Nick Nurse is continuing to surprise; currently occupies fourth place in the Eastern Conference, and seems to have all the credentials to aim for the field factor during the next playoffs.

Among the merits for this unpredictable continuity there is the exponential growth of a group of young people on which few would have bet, and of which many barely knew the existence. The most striking case is that of Pascal Siakam, who has gone from 'perfect unknown' to All-Star in two seasons (it is not yet official but, at 25.1 points on average, his participation in the Chicago event is almost certain), but the unexpected explosion of players like Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby is also playing a pivotal role in the Toronto blockbusters.

The latest gem in the already remarkable collection of talents unearthed by Masai Ujiri and associates is called Chris Boucher, and he literally dazzled the Scotiabank Arena on December 22nd, in a game that fans will remember for a long time. The Raptors, with the spins reduced to the bone by the injuries of Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Marc Gasol, are outclassed by the Dallas Mavericks, who in the third quarter are ahead of 30 points. Game over? Not at all; the Canadians are performing in a historic comeback, culminating in Boucher's dunk to sanction the final 110-107. In addition to a monumental Kyle Lowry (32 points, of which 20 in the last quarter), the heroes of the evening are at least unexpected: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (18 points and 9 rebounds), Terence Davis (9 points, but a +31 of plus-minus demonstrating his fundamental contribution) and Chris Boucher, author of 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 stops on the bench. More than one spectator, at that point, will have asked himself a question: where does this Boucher come from? The answer is fairly obvious: from a small distant country. To be precise, from Saint Lucia, the island of the Lesser Antilles.

The path that brought Boucher to the NBA is the most tortuous one can imagine, and it cannot be excluded that, sooner or later, it will become the subject of some television production. Little Chris leaves the Caribbean sun at just five years old, to reunite with his father in the cold of Montreal. After the separation of his parents, he grew up with his mother in the Saint-Michel district. The family economic situation is not the brightest, so much so that Boucher leaves school and earns his bread by being a cook and a dishwasher in a city restaurant. As a good Canadian foster, he mostly dedicates himself to hockey and football, but his height above the average (it will reach 208 centimeters) and his very long arms push him to try his hand at basketball too. The choice soon turns out to be spot on; some scouts notice him and recruit him for a team of the AAU circuit (Athletic Amateur Union, a federation that organizes tournaments among the best high school prospects). Her performances capture the interest of New Mexico Junior College, which offers Boucher a scholarship. Chris only has one year left, then moves to Wyoming, to Northwest College, where he is elected Player of the Year for NJCAA (junior college NCAA). In addition to the prestigious recognition, it earns recruitment in a Division I basketball program, that of the Oregon Ducks. The second and final season is the one that gets him into NBA radar. The Ducks, driven by Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks and Jordan Bell, arrive at the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, where they are defeated by future North Carolina champions. Along the way, during the challenge against California, Boucher breaks the cruciate ligament, closing his university experience early.

Also due to the injury, at the 2017 NBA draft, Chris is not chosen. However, the 12 points and almost 7 rebounds of media reported on his two-year period in Oregon induce the Golden State Warriors to give him an opportunity. Sign a two-way-contract and consequently appear mainly in the G-League. Despite playing just one minute under Steve Kerr's orders, he is still an integral part of the roster, so he puts on his finger the NBA champion ring after the 4-0 with which Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and companions reject the sender LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not even the time to celebrate the 'triumph', which the Warriors cut it. As is now customary, yet another big shift in his life arrives in the summer of 2018. From the Bay Area he returns to Canada, this time to Toronto. Again, two-way-contract. And even in this case, incredibly, it proves to be a 'talisman' for the franchise. The Raptors will give him another ring, defeating his dear old Warriors in the final. Appearances in the NBA increase significantly (28 games at 5.8 minutes on average), but Boucher also passes the 2018/19 mainly in the G-League. In the development league, however, he dominates: he closes with 27.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and the beauty of 4.1 medium stops, he is elected both Defensive Player Of The Year and seasonal MVP. In February, Toronto regularizes his contract, finally giving him "citizenship" in the best league in the world. In this 2019/20, Boucher is showing that, in addition to winning titles every year, he can also become a decent player. He currently travels at 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 13 minutes on average; not exciting figures, but his encouraging performances, combined with Gasol's precarious physical condition and advanced age, could guarantee the Caribbean more and more space and, why not, a place as center owner. Like any self-respecting fairytale, Chris' fairy tale peaked at Christmas. In the challenge against the Boston Celtics, which opened on Christmas Day 2019, Boucher scored 24 points, his maximum in his career. What if it was just the beginning? What if yet another unexpected rabbit came out of the Raptors' cylinder?