Former NBA ROY Michael Carter-Williams starting boxing career

Field Level Media|published: Tue 22nd April, 18:42 2025

Apr 14, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Orlando Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams (7) dribbles the ball against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams has found a new arena, with the 33-year-old expected to make his amateur boxing debut May 29 in New York.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Carter-Williams will square off with 36-year-old Sam Khativ in a three-round heavyweight bout at the Leman Ballroom. The "Broad Street Brawl" will raise funds for Bigvision Community, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young adults who are recovering from substance abuse.

Uprising Promotions' Ronson Frank told ESPN that another fighter recommended bringing in Carter-Williams, who Frank said "thought the cause was really good" and "wanted to be a part of it."

What's more, Frank told ESPN that Carter-Williams could have more fights in the future, depending on how this first one goes.

"He is very prideful, athletic, and I think he can do well as an amateur fighter," Frank said. "If he's going pro, then that's a whole different animal. You have to be a world-class athlete to make it in the NBA, and if he has that same dedication to boxing, along with his natural athletic ability, he has the potential to do well."

After leading the Syracuse Orange to the Final Four as a sophomore in 2013, Carter-Williams was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-5 point guard averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds and was named the 2013-14 Rookie of the Year.

That was the peak for Carter-Williams, however, as the 76ers traded him to Milwaukee the following year, his first of five stops in the next six years. He spent the last four years of his career with the Orlando Magic, with whom he played his last game in April 2023.

Carter-Williams formally announced his retirement in October 2024, capping a career that saw him average 10.2 points, 4.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds.

Carter-Williams did suit up for the Mexico City Capitanes of the G League in late 2023 but parted ways for personal reasons. He has served as a men's college basketball studio and game analyst for ESPN since January 2025.

--Field Level Media