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Carlos Boozer is back in Utah and not concerned about the reception that awaits from Jazz fans.
"I had great time here," he said Tuesday. "… Some great memories."
Boozer spent six seasons with the Jazz before signing with Chicago last summer. The Jazz play the Bulls on Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena, where Boozer knows he could be booed by the fans he left behind.
Surrounded by a playoff-sized media contingent after Chicago's afternoon practice, Boozer said, "… It will be all 'Booz' to me. I'm looking forward to it."
Asked what he'd say to "Boozer haters" attending the game, he said, "Nothing. Nothing. You need them to keep you motivated. Little do they know haters motivate. Guys like me take that in stride and use that as fuel. …
"… I'm not one of those guys you can hate and expect me to be, 'Oh, no.' I'm not like that. I get motivated."
Boozer average 19.3 points and 10.5 rebounds with the Jazz but missed 138 of 492 regular-season games with injuries.
Utah's Deron Williams was asked before Tuesday morning's practice if he stays in touch with Boozer and two other ex-teammates who play for the Bulls, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.
"I talk to Ronnie and Kyle a lot," Williams said. "I don't really talk to Booz. I talk to those [other] guys frequently. I'm going to dinner with them tonight."
Who's buying?
"We'll figure it out when we get there," he said.
Asked if playing against friends and former teammates is difficult, Williams replied, "If you are a competitor, it doesn't matter. Once you get on the court, they're on the opposite team."