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Now retired, Chris Paul is all in on mentoring his AAU team, including his son, who has made significant strides on the court.<\/p>\n
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. \u2014 Cameron Boozer was the No. 3 overall pick in this year\u2019s draft and every basketball fan knew who he was as a high school freshman, not only because of what he had done on the court yet, but because of his famous last name and who his dad was. Carlos Boozer played 13 years in the NBA and was the 35th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey represent the Boozer name so proudly and so boldly and were unafraid of all the smoke that came with it,\u201d Carlos told NBA.com about his sons. \u201cThey\u2019ve taken on every single challenge and they\u2019ve never run from anything and I\u2019m super proud of who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Carlos Boozer talks about what it’s like to watch his son in Summer League action<\/p>\n
This summer, more than any other year, there are a handful of high school basketball players with famous last names and ties to the NBA. Not only that, but former NBA greats are now coaching in grassroots basketball, molding the development of future talent. One of the familiar faces on the sidelines at the Nike EYBL is one of the best scoring guards to ever play the game, Jamal Crawford. He coaches his son\u2019s North West Rotary U16 team and takes pride in the development of these young players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a kid at their age and I know how important it is to have an impactful coach,\u201d Crawford said. \u201cJust the littlest details they\u2019re getting right now, it might not hit them yet, but when they\u2019re in college and beyond, that\u2019s when it matters and they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s what coach was talking about!\u2019 Those little details and the discipline will stick with them forever, whether they realize it or not and I\u2019m just happy to be a small part of their journey in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamal\u2019s son, JJ Crawford, is the No. 1 player in the 2029 high school class. He emerged onto the scene a year ago when he was playing up two divisions on Nike\u2019s EYBL U15 circuit as an 8th grader. In his first game playing for North West Rotary<\/a>, Crawford put up five threes confidently and made everything look easy. It was enough to turn heads and he carried that momentum into his freshman high school season, where he played alongside the projected No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, Tyran Stokes. Stokes was a 6-foot-7, 240-pound senior playing with the sharpshooter freshman guard.<\/p>\n JJ Crawford hits the CLUTCH 3-pointer to tie the game with 1 min left \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n He has a team-high 17 PTS for NW Rotary!<\/p>\n Watch @NikeEYB<\/a> Peach Jam LIVE now on the NBA App + NBA YouTube \ud83d\udcf2 pic.twitter.com\/UGAjYT9PwA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) July 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really fun playing with Tyran,\u201d JJ said. \u201cSometimes mid-game he\u2019ll just look at me and be like, \u2018Steph and Bron\u2019 and that just means we have to lock in and take over the game and the two of us just go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n The duo were one of the most dynamic pairs in high school basketball and won a Washington state championship with Rainer Beach. Just turning 16 years old in June, JJ was the youngest member of the U17 USA Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Istanbul last month. He played alongside the No. 1 player in the 2027 high school class, Beckham Black, and the No. 1 player in the 2028 high school class AJ Williams.<\/p>\n JJ Crawford\u2019s freshman year was historic \ud83e\udee1<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf8: @JCrossover<\/a>, @JJ1Crawford<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/waoU0hwlVn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI asked JJ what he really learned from this experience and he answered, \u2018Now I really know what playing hard is every single possession,\u2019\u201d Crawford said. \u201cAnd it was a great team for him to be a part of just to be around older guys and help with his development and how quickly they process the game. He really took a lot from it.\u201d<\/p>\n Also on Team USA was Eric Dampier Jr. His father, Eric Dampier, was the 10th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and played 14 years in the NBA. Dampier Jr. is one of the top players in the 2028 high school class and took a lot from his father when he found his love for basketball.<\/p>\n \u201cJust growing up and watching my dad inspired me to play and just having him as a tool to show me what it takes to be a pro, it\u2019s really great to have him in my corner,\u201d Dampier said. \u201cHe\u2019ll show me different things from my games and it\u2019s not like it\u2019s happened overnight, but he\u2019s really helped shape the player I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n There were multiple legacy kids on the court in the Nike EYBL circuit and adidas 3SSB. RJ Evans, a 6-foot-7 wing and rising sophomore, was one of the best players at the 3SSB Championships over the weekend, playing up 2 divisions for the U17 Austin Rivers Southeast Elite squad and averaging 14 points, four rebounds and 1.5 steals over the season. His dad, Reggie, played four years for the Seattle Supersonics in the early 2000s before bouncing around a few teams and ending his career with the Sacramento Kings in 2015.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re really being honest, I just beat him in ones (1-on-1),\u201d RJ Evans said. \u201cHe can\u2019t beat me. I\u2019m taller than him now so it\u2019s cool. I know he played in the league and all but it\u2019s my time now and he can\u2019t beat me.\u201d<\/p>\n RJ Evans takes the inbounds pass and races to the rim for the layup!<\/p>\n Watch @3SSBCircuit<\/a> live all day on the NBA App + NBA YouTube \ud83d\udcf2 pic.twitter.com\/hPNOfuVoXX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) July 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Both RJ and JJ are at the top of their class and recognize the advantages they have and don\u2019t take it for granted. The work ethic, discipline and dedication are things they\u2019re taught that people don\u2019t see on the court when they\u2019re playing.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad has built my entire foundation for who I am as a player,\u201d JJ said. \u201cHe\u2019s taught me everything. He\u2019s my coach, my dad and has really shown me what it\u2019s like to not only be a good basketball player but a smart basketball player. And to just always be around the game and learning.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Paul, a 21-year NBA veteran, was on the bench coaching his 16U and 17U programs throughout the spring and summer. AJ Williams, the No. 1 player in the 2028 class, is on his 17U team and is already learning as much as he can from one of the best players ever to play the game.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just great having him as a resource and learning from him,\u201d Williams said. \u201cWhen he\u2019s talking before games or he pulls me aside, I\u2019m locked in and I\u2019ve already learned a lot from him. I know a lot of players don\u2019t have a coach like Chris Paul, so I\u2019m just trying to learn as much as I can from him.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s son, Chris Paul Jr., has had a tremendous spring and summer and really started to become his own player. The 6-foot-1 point guard had 14 points in his final AAU game of the summer in a loss to Team Final, but the strides he made as a rising junior have made him a player to watch leading into his high school season at Campbell Hall (California).<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m retired now, so he and every kid I coach gets all of me,\u201d Paul said. \u201cJust to be a small part of their journey and development is special and as a coach, I see the work and the improvement they make.\u201d<\/p>\n CP3 gets his squad ready for the 16U Championship game \ud83e\udd1d<\/p>\n Watch @NikeEYB<\/a> Peach Jam LIVE now on the NBA App + NBA YouTube \ud83d\udcf2 pic.twitter.com\/9t4PBzEmpd<\/a><\/p>\n