Boozer twins emerging from Dad’s NBA shadow to gain notice as freshmen at Miami Columbus

There were bloody noses.

There were weepy faces.

But there was no quitting for the Boozer twins, the sons of former NBA standout Carlos Boozer and ex-North Carolina State volleyball starter Cindy Boozer.

Growing up, the twins — Cameron and Cayden — took a lot of sharp elbows from their older brother, Carmani, during some intense basketball games on the family’s full-court backyard setup in the ritzy Pinecrest section of Miami.

“[Carmani] is older and stronger,” Cayden said. “We couldn’t compete.”

That’s no longer the case.

These days, it’s Cameron and Cayden who are doling out the punishment. The twins are freshmen starters on a Columbus team that entered this week 9-0 and ranked No. 1 among Miami high school basketball teams.

Cayden, a 6-4 point guard, leads Columbus in scoring (21.0) and steals (2.6) while ranking second in assists (4.6).

Cameron, a 6-8 point forward, leads Columbus in rebounds (12.2), assists (5.2) and blocks (3.7) while ranking second in scoring (19.4).

They have been so dominant that it’s easy to forget they are still just 14 years old.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Cayden said when asked about playing against high school juniors and seniors who are often four years older than the twins. “I’ve been preparing to play high school for the past two years. And I’ve been playing up [against older kids] my whole life. It’s nothing new.”

So far, Cameron is the slightly better prospect, although both twins have scholarship offers from Miami and FIU. Coaches from Florida State and Oklahoma State have also made the trek to the Columbus gym to recruit them.

Cindy Boozer said Cameron is expected to grow to 6-10 or 6-11. Beyond the size, Cameron is a team co-captain — another rarity for a freshman.

“I think Cameron will be one of the best players to come out of Miami in a long time,” Columbus coach Andrew Moran said. “He’s a problem [for opposing teams].

“He blocks so many shots. He’s an excellent passer. He scores on all three levels. Our offense runs through him because he understands and reads the game so well.”

Cayden said he’s not too upset his brother has those extra four inches.

“It does make a little sense since he was born first,” Cayden rationalized. “I’m still growing … so I’m not too mad about it.”

While Cameron is Miami’s top-ranked freshman, according to Jacob Shaw’s miamidadebb.com website, Cayden is No. 4 on that list.

But Moran said Cayden has made “amazing” improvements during the past two years.

“Cayden is one of the best finishers in transition I’ve seen at his age,” said Moran, who has also coached the twins in travel ball. “His confidence is high.”

Meanwhile, the twins’ brother, Carmani, is a 15-year-old sophomore baseball player at Miami Westminster Christian. Listed at 6-2 and 265 pounds, Carmani pitches and plays first base. He is now down to 220 pounds, according to his mother.

Certainly, it’s a tall and talented family. Cindy, who is raising all three boys as a single mother, is 5-10.

Carlos, listed at 6-9 and 260 pounds in his playing days, had a stellar career. He was a McDonald’s All-American in his native Alaska, an NCAA national champ at Duke in 2001 and a two-time All-Star during a 13-year NBA career. He also won a gold medal in 2008.

Cayden said he doesn’t watch too much of his dad’s old highlights on YouTube.

“I play point guard, and he played power forward,” Cayden said logically.

The twins said their dad comes to Columbus’ games.

“He has taught me to be patient, to not speed up in end-game situations,” Cayden said. “Be calm and try to control the game.”

No one has sped up Columbus this season. The Explorers’ third-leading scorer is another freshman, 6-2 shooting guard Benny Fragela, who is averaging 9.7 points.

Fragela and the twins have known each other virtually since birth and have played travel ball together since the second grade.

Columbus’ other starters are just a bit older: 6-7 sophomore forward Malik Abdullahi and 6-1 junior guard Garyn Bess. Kevin Noriega, a 5-9 junior reserve, serves as co-captain along with Cameron Boozer.

Noriega is a hard-nosed defender who exemplifies how Columbus likes to play. In fact, Columbus has rolled over some of the county’s best squads, including Riviera Prep, Palmetto, Northwestern and Miami High.

Against Palmetto, some rival fans tried to taunt the twins.

“I’ve been called ‘Daddy’s Millions’ or ‘overrated’, but I don’t pay attention to negativity,” Cayden said. “I just try to stay focused on the game.”

After all, when you get socked in the nose by your big brother, a few taunts aren’t likely to stop two of Miami’s emerging talents.

This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM.