Raptors’ Boucher hopes to inspire with story of going from homeless to NBA champion

It’s a story like no other athlete in the NBA. Raptors forward/centre Chris Boucher moved to Canada from Saint Lucia when he was eight years old. His mother Mary was looking for a better life for her children, full of more opportunities. Eight years later, Boucher was homeless and had dropped out of school. He left his mom’s house and was sleeping on different couches at friends’ and family’s houses for over two years.

The 30-year-old recently shared his story in a new episode of the show ‘Bags 2 Riches presented by Simplii’ where he discussed the obstacles he has overcome, from being homeless to becoming an NBA champion. Boucher spoke with CityNews’ Sports Reporter Lindsay Dunn:

On why he wanted to share his story

“I feel like it’s easy for kids to draw inspiration from it or people that are going through the same situation that I’ve been in certain places in my life. But there are some bad memories, where I just went through so many things that I just don’t want to be thinking about sometimes because you’re like, I’ve made it so far and I’m in a good place now that you want to think about positive things. So it’s a mix of both. I feel like when they asked me to do a story, I was like, I might as well say it onetime, make sure that everybody knows a little bit more of what I’ve been doing, and maybe it can help a lot of people that are going through the same situation and then hopefully it can be an inspiration to them.”

On drawing inspiration from the tough times

“I use it all the time when hard times or when something is going on in the world, or I’m going through something in life, it’s easier to just go back in life where you didn’t know what was going on and where you end up. And those hard times made me realize that it could always be worse and always better. It’s also something that I’m not ashamed of. I feel like it built my character and helped me get to where I am and it’s part of my story.

The best moment ever

Boucher’s mother is a huge inspiration in his life and when he signed a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal with the Raptors in 2020 he was able to buy her a house.

“It was the best moment ever. It is just having a chance to let her choose a house, it’s something that we never thought I would be able to do. Just her being happy and knowing that she has a safe place to go home to is everything. It’s something I’ve always told myself that I was going to do as a kid and I got a chance to do it.”

The SlimmDuck Foundation

In 2022 before the Raptors’ regular season started, Boucher launched The SlimmDuck Foundation. The goal is to provide access to meaningful educational and athletic opportunities for youth in underserved communities throughout Canada.

“It’s something I always wanted to do. My career started a little bit rough so I couldn’t do all the stuff that I wanted to do for the kids, but I still took off and things got better in Toronto I knew I could do it. I told myself that I’ll give back to the community and give back to the kids and give back to people in need. I always told myself even when I had nothing that if one day I would have something, and I know I wouldn’t be that type of guy that would be revengeful and wanting to keep it all for myself, I knew I was going to give back and try to make people’s lives better.”

A lemon of a routine

After almost every postgame this season when Boucher speaks to the media he has a small bag from Starbucks that is just off to the side out of the camera shot. He has nevert discussed the significance of it until now.

“It’s lemon loaf. Me and Shelby (Weaver, Raptors Director of Basketball Operations & Culture) started this. I had a couple of bad games last year and then she brought that and then I had a really good game and since then she never stopped and that’s something I added to my routine. There is a lot of different stuff I do but that lemon loaf I take a bite, half before the game and half after the game. I always have it.”

'I take half before the game and half after.' @chrisboucher on how his @Starbucks Lemon Loaf routine started because of @ShelbyWeaver . #raptors pic.twitter.com/p3YlhrZN9R

— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) January 25, 2023

The Raptors play the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night on Sportsnet at 10 p.m. ET.