Michael Carter-Williams officially retired from the NBA six months ago, after a decade in the league. In the next chapter of his athletic career, he will trade high-tops for boxing gloves.
The former 76ers guard, who won Rookie of the Year back in 2014 and was traded by the team the next season, will make his amateur boxing debut as a heavyweight, in a three-round bout against Sam Khativ at the Leman Ballroom in New York City on May 29th, according to Uprising promotions.
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SIGN UP HERE The fight is billed as part of Uprising’s Broad Street Brawl – a reference to the NYC Broad Street, not the Philadelphia Broad Street – which will raise money for Big Vision Community, a nonprofit that helps young adults recover from substance abuse.
Promoter Ronson Frank told ESPN that the man fans called “MCW” has the potential to be more than a novelty in the ring.
"Michael Carter-William is very proud, athletic and I think he can be successful as an amateur boxer,” Frank said. “If he turns professional, that's another story. You have to be a world-class athlete to succeed in the NBA, and if he has that same dedication to boxing, along with his natural athletic ability, he has the potential to succeed."
Carter-Williams was a product of the first draft of former 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, selected as the 11th pick overall. He is no stranger to strong debuts; in his first NBA game, he recorded a triple double, and continued his strong play on the way to winning Rookie of the Year, averaging 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He was traded at the deadline the following season as part of a three-team deal with the Bucks and the Suns.
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We wish MCW all the best in his debut, and if he doesn’t win the bout, well, trust the process.