"That's no comparison to Carmani. People can kill me all day long," he said, "but when my son actually has a chance to die, that's a different ballgame. I know I'm going to be able to play again when I heal. For him it was life or death.

Now, though, the family — which since last summer includes twin boys Cayden and Cameron — has been together again in Utah for several weeks, as Carmani's treatments enabled him to live at higher altitude.

And Boozer knew great joy Tuesday on a rare Jazz day off.

"It's awesome to have them here," he said.

"We were having fun (Tuesday). I brought them over to the (Zions Bank Basketball Center) gym a little bit and got to kick the ball around a little bit.

"I get to wake up with them and go to sleep with them, play with them, play in the snow with them. It's just a lot of fun.

"Carmani loves the snow. He's trying to throw snowballs and pack snowballs and do that kind of thing," Boozer said with a big smile on his face.

The old man is from Juneau, Alaska, and grew up with the snow and cold. "I've been in snow my whole life. I like it a lot," he said.

But he didn't know how the kids would react.

"It's first time in the snow (for them) to really be able to play around in it, so, that they like it, I'm excited about that. We were throwing snowballs a couple days ago."

Everything seems brighter for Boozer now. "This is becoming a good (year) because that door (on the old difficulties) was closed a couple weeks ago when they got here. It's going to be a terrific year in '08, and I'm looking forward to enjoying that," he said.

Actually playing in the All-Star Game would be a nice step forward for Boozer, who leans down and hits his knuckles on the wooden basketball floor and says, "Knock on wood," when talking about being able to participate after watching from the sidelines last year in Las Vegas.

"I'm excited about it. It's something that I go into each summer with that goal in mind, and other goals of mine as well, so I'm looking forward to that. It would be a huge honor again," he said.

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Boozer by the numbers

• 22.5 ppg/10.8 rpg
• Five straight double-doubles

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E-mail: lham@desnews.com