Carlos Boozer Goes In Depth On Yelling 'Holdat'
(CBS) As Bulls fans know oh so well, Carlos Boozer has a way with words on the floor.
During his four seasons in Chicago, Boozer was renowned for yelling some variation of "Get dat Jo" to fellow big man Joakim Noah, a reference for Noah to chase down a rebound on the defensive end, where Boozer often struggled. Boozer's other go-to phrase is "holdat," which -- as far as we can tell -- was created by Boozer and is apparently only practiced by him.
That makes the phrase difficult to explain, but Boozer nonetheless provided insight on "holdat" to reporters Thursday when he had his exit interview after the Lakers finished their season 21-61.
At its most basic, "holdat" is a term of celebration that can also be construed as a distant cousin of "dap," in that it's a sign of respect when directed toward others.
"I've been saying 'holdat' for a while now," Boozer said in a video posted on Deadspin. "It's not just for me though. My 'holdat's' unselfish, like it can be someone else doing something really good and I'll be on the bench just screaming out 'holdat.' You know, just trying to give them some confidence and just give them some excitement. 'Holdat' is kind of like a little bit of a brag. You know, sometimes it can be a humble brag. Sometimes it ain't going to be a humble brag. But it's just a way -- like say somebody comes up to you and be like, 'Man, you got a nice jump shot.' You go, 'holdat.' You know what I mean? 'Thank you, brother.' You know, 'holdat.'
"You could be on the street and somebody could be like, 'Nice kicks man!' (You'd be like) 'yeah, I got them at Niketown. Thanks bro -- 'holdat.' Just something simple, something light."
Boozer is known to yell "holdat" after made shots, but he also sometimes yells it while his shot attempt is still in the air. Sometimes those don't go in, but that doesn't deter Carlos Boozer.
"It happens sometimes," Boozer said. "You feel good about the shot, so you're saying 'holdat' and it rolls out. You know, it happens. The good part about it is you get a chance to do it again next time you say it after you make it.
"You want the ball to go in. You're trying to put it out there to the universe to roll in."
Boozer, 33, averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Lakers this past season, mostly in a reserve role. He will be a free agent this summer.
Watch the video of Boozer explaining "holdat" here. It's priceless.