Former Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams will make his boxing debut Thursday night

Michael Carter-Williams is ready to get a taste of the sweet science Thursday night as he steps into the boxing ring to make his amateur debut at the Léman Ballroom in New York in a match billed as the “Broad Street Brawl.”

Carter-Williams, the 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year who played his first season and a half with the 76ers, will face 36-year-old Sam Khatib in a three-round heavyweight bout with two-minute rounds and 16-ounce gloves. Since he announced his retirement in October 2024, the former Sixers guard said boxing has been an outlet for him.

“After I retired, [I] gained a bunch of weight — I wasn’t working that much,” Carter-Williams said on the Ariel Helwani Show on YouTube. “So I started working out — just lifting, whatever, trying to stay in shape. But then it wasn’t giving me that fix.

“You know me, I love boxing, I love MMA, combat sports. So I started doing a little bit of boxing, and then once my friend told me that he’s competing, I was like, ‘I want to compete, too.’ And I kind of started taking it seriously. … For me, it’s just I want to scratch that itch.”

After the Sixers drafted him with the No. 11 pick in 2013, Carter-Williams burst onto the scene, averaging 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. In his sophomore season, he averaged 15 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.2 rebounds before he was traded to Milwaukee in February 2015.

After the trade, he faced several setbacks and roved around the league to the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic. He retired after nine NBA seasons.

On The Players’ Tribune, Carter-Williams explained how his career took a toll on his mental health. He discussed battling depression, feeling lost, and trying to live up to his Rookie of the Year season. He uses boxing to keep his mind in the right space.

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“Every player goes through something after they retire,” Carter-Williams, 33, told Helwani. “‘Like, what’s next for me?’ There’s that transition period, and it’s been a good outlet for me.”

Carter-Williams has been training with 24-year-old Jeovanny Estela in preparation for his debut. Estela has 16 pro fights under his belt, holding a 14-2 record with five knockouts at super welterweight. When Estela was first asked to coach Carter-Williams, he had a set of rules.

“If I’m going to train him and he’s going to take this fight, then we’re going to take it full,” Estela said on the Ariel Helwani Show. “We’re going to take it like if he’s debuting [professionally]. And I want to give him the whole fighter camp — meaning training in the morning, training in the afternoon, strength and conditioning on certain days, sparring with certain people. If I train him, I wanted to win.”

After watching the former NBA player train, Estela knew Carter-Williams would have the work ethic to compete as a boxer. He saw toughness.

“And it’s because of the [athleticism] that already comes from the NBA,” Estela said. “That dedication to get to such a high division in basketball, he just switches it over into that training in boxing, and it works. He gives it 150%.”

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The former Syracuse guard is the latest former NBA player to make the transition to boxing in retirement, joining Nate Robinson, Nick Young, Lamar Odom, and Deron Williams.

When asked if he is considered joining the influencer boxing world, which includes KSI, Slim Albaher, and Jake Paul, Carter-Williams responded: “Listen, I’ve thought about it. I’ve looked at it. I’ve looked at the heavyweight champ. I’ve definitely got my eye on it for sure. … I wanted to get this under my belt first, kind of see what happens, and then I’ll go from there.”

Carter-Williams’ match will raise funds for Bigvision Community, a nonprofit is dedicated to supporting young adults who are recovering from substance abuse.