Chris Boucher (basketball)
A late-blooming shot-blocker who went from junior college to the NBA, embodying the power of persistence and defensive hustle.
Born 1993 (age 33)·Saint Lucian-Canadian basketball player·Birthday: January 11·Millennials
Biography
Chris Boucher's path to professional basketball was anything but linear. Born in Castries, Saint Lucia, he moved to Montreal as a teenager and didn't seriously pursue the sport until his late teens. After dropping out of high school and working in a restaurant, he found his way to a New Mexico junior college, where his extraordinary wingspan and timing began to turn heads. His breakthrough came at the University of Oregon, where he became a defensive force, leading the Ducks to a Final Four despite tearing his ACL in the Pac-12 tournament. Undrafted, he clawed his way onto an NBA roster, first with the Golden State Warriors, where he won a championship while rehabbing, then with the Toronto Raptors. His story is one of raw, self-made talent—a player who carved out a vital role as a energetic, three-point-shooting big man off the bench through sheer will and an unmatched work ethic.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Chris was born in 1993, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1993
#1 Movie
Jurassic Park
Best Picture
Schindler's List
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1993Born
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1998Started school
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2006Became a teenager
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2009Could drive
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2011Could vote
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Turned 21
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2023Turned 30
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 33 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
- Named the NBA G League Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, the first to win both awards in the same season.
- Led the Pac-12 in blocked shots during his final collegiate season at the University of Oregon.
- Played a key role in Oregon's run to the 2017 NCAA Final Four.
Did You Know?
He is the first NBA player born in Saint Lucia.
Boucher did not play organized basketball until he was 19 years old.
He worked as a cook and dishwasher in Montreal before his basketball career took off.
He wears jersey number 25 in honor of his late friend, Kareem.
“I was washing dishes, now I'm blocking shots. This game gave me a life.”
