Michael Carter-Williams Set for Boxing Debut vs. Khatib, Went No. 11 in 2013 NBA Draft
Former NBA player Michael Carter-Williams told TMZ Sports on Sunday that he's transitioned to boxing and will make his fighting debut on May 29 at the Leman Ballroom against amateur boxer Sam Khatib.
The fight will be part of New York's Broad Street Brawl.
"We'll see where it takes me, but I definitely want to fight," Carter-Williams told TMZ. "I definitely want to have fights."
The 33-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2022-23 season for the Orlando Magic. For his career he averaged 10.2 points, 4.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, and most famously was the 2013-14 Rookie of the Year. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and Magic in his career.
A number of athletes have made the basketball-to-boxing switch over the years, including Nate Robinson, Deron Williams, Nick Young and even Lamar Odom.
"[Carter-Williams] came on my radar about two months ago," Ronson Frank of Uprising Promotions told ESPN's Andreas Hale back in April. "One of the fighters initially who signed up to fight at the event recommended Carter-Williams as somebody who might be interested, and we were connected. He thought the cause was really good, and wanted to be a part of it."
