From baller to baker?

I have heard about athletes reinventing themselves, but nothing takes the cake like the creamy second act of Duke basketball standout, Brian Zoubek.

Zoubek, a 2006 Haddonfield High grad, helped the Blue Devils win the 2010 NCAA crown. He's 7-foot-1, weighs 265 and is easily recognizable on the means streets of our shared South Jersey suburb.

I had heard rumors that Zoubek, sidelined from the NBA with back troubles, was back in town and on the make. But the talk seemed so fantastic -- a jock opening a bakery? -- that it had to be a joke.

Our friends at Haddonfield Patch confirmed the confection: The baller wants to run a business called Dream Puffz.

"I want to prove myself in something other than sports," Zoubek told a reporter from the website prior to a meeting of Historic Preservation Commission.

According to Patch, Zoubek at first wanted permission for a sign advertising "Heavenly Cream Puff Creations." Haddonfield regulations can be tricky -- remember the infamous Doggie Style drama? -- so he agreed to a compromise by taking "Heavenly" out of his name.

The sweet treats will be sold from a location at 605 Haddon Avenue sometime in the near future. Perhaps cream puffs will pick up where designer cupcakes have left off?

Doesn't sound like Zoubek will mix the dough himself, but he will be an official taster.

"I've loved cream puffs my whole life," he said. "I'm just a fat kid, at heart."

-- Monica Yant Kinney