Will An NBA Team Give Chris Boucher A Shot?

Chris Boucher

Adrenaline. It's a powerful chemical. It can make you perform feats under impossible circumstances, whether it's lifting a car, going into a burning building, or surviving otherwise unimaginable pain. The latter was performed by Oregon center Chris Boucher (208-C/F-93) on March 11, 2017. In the first half of the Ducks' semifinal clash in the Pac-12 Tournament against Cal, Boucher crashed the boards and came down hard on his knee. However, because of adrenaline, he didn't feel anything immediately and continued to run and jump normally, playing 24 minutes in the game. It wasn't until an MRI scan the next morning that it was revealed Boucher had torn the ACL in his left knee and would miss the remainder of his season and college career that he knew this pain was more than just a temporary stinger. An ACL tear is deadly, typically taking six months or more to fully recover from. This would be a disheartening injury for anybody, but it especially hurt for Boucher. After his circuitous journey to Division I basketball (detailed in a November 2016 SI article by Luke Winn), being forced to sit on the sidelines in what should have been his final tournament run burned deeply. However, Boucher has been dealt setbacks in his life before, and, like those previous instances in his life, he hasn't let this one stop him from achieving his goals. This time, that goal is the NBA. The pre-draft process is nerve-wracking and stressful for most prospects: after all, despite the large amount of media coverage at the college level, they are still largely 19 and 20 years old, and are susceptible to the same emotions and pressures as everyday young adults. All of this attention is compounded for Boucher, who has had to attend NBA workouts and meetings alongside his own personal rehab sessions. Considering all the obstacles he's overcome in his life, it's not surprising that Boucher has approached this challenge with positivity and good spirits. '[The pre-draft process] hasn't been too bad," Boucher said. "The first few weeks were hard because we had to account for crutches, find a way to extend the knee, and make sure flying wouldn't make it swell up, but it got better soon.'
Courtesy of: si.com