Carter-Williams: ‘I ​thought ​my ​performance ​was ​pretty ​good’

In his debut in the NBA, 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams had 22 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and nine steals, and he led his Philadelphia 76ers to a victory over the Miami Heat.

On Thursday, he continued to have successful debuts, this time in the sport of boxing.

In an amateur bout, which was the first for the former NBA star, Carter-Williams defeated Sam Khatib by unanimous decision in a heavyweight clash at the Léman Ballroom in New York City.

The “Broad Street Brawl,” which was promoted by Uprising Promotions, raised funds for Bigvision Community, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young adults in recovery from substance abuse.

The 33-year-old Carter-Williams, who last played in the NBA in 2023, dominated Khatib over three two-minute rounds, and he was the aggressor for most of the fight. By the third and final round, Carter-Williams was exhausted, but he managed to secure the victory.

“I ​thought ​my ​performance ​was ​pretty ​good,” Carter-Williams said after the win. “​I ​thought ​I ​did ​some ​good ​things ​out ​there—definitely ​some ​things ​I ​need ​to ​fix. ​My ​opponent ​was ​pretty ​good ​too…​ Ultimately, ​we ​came ​out ​here ​for ​a ​greater ​purpose ​than ​the ​two ​of ​us. ​Right? ​This ​is ​for ​charity, so ​we ​went ​out ​there, ​raise ​some ​money, ​​entertain ​the ​crowd, ​and ​it ​was ​a ​good ​showing.”

Carter-Williams, a big boxing fan, knows that he won’t turn pro, but he might consider celebrity boxing moving forward.

​”I’m ​33 ​years ​old,” he said. “​It’s ​not ​like ​I’m ​gonna ​go ​out ​there ​and ​train ​to ​be ​a ​pro. There’s ​a ​whole other ​lane ​for ​celebrities ​to go ​out ​there ​and ​box. ​So, maybe ​I’ll ​entertain ​that ​a ​little ​bit ​and ​just ​keep ​going ​with ​it. ​I ​just ​want ​to ​keep ​getting ​better.”

Hopefully, Carter-Williams can continue to improve in the ring, and who knows, maybe he can make career as a celebrity boxer.