The Heat’s formation of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh created one of the most iconic superteams in NBA history. James and Wade’s countless highlight plays continue to resonate with fans nearly 10 years following their final season in Miami. However, Bosh’s skill level is forgotten in the mix. Heat legend Udonis Haslem couldn’t help but share his frustration regarding the disrespect the big man receives from modern NBA fans.
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On a recent episode of The OGs, Heat team president Pat Riley made a guest appearance alongside hosts Haslem and Mike Miller. The topic of conversation shifted toward the Heat’s iconic Big Three. Riley gave the necessary flowers to Bosh, which sparked Haslem into a passionate rant. He said,
“I think the generation behind [Bam Adebayo], they get on my damn nerves. They made a comment the other day that Chris Bosh is closer to Nic Claxton than Anthony Davis. No disrespect to Nic Claxton, I love your work ethic and what you do for your team. The shit pissed me off. I don’t think this generation understands how really good of a basketball player Chris Bosh was.”
Haslem has every right to be frustrated with the discourse surrounding Bosh’s skill level as a player. Claxton is only 25 years old and in his sixth season, with plenty of time to expand his career. But the odds of him evolving into an All-Star caliber player are low. In Bosh’s sixth season, he was a four-time All-Star and earned All-NBA Team honors in his fourth season.
A majority of NBA fans discredit Bosh’s abilities based on his reduced role with Miami. However, his tenure with the Raptors suggests otherwise regarding his skills and Riley was aware of it. He said,
“When [Chris Bosh] went to Toronto, if you think about it, he’s really one of first prototype stretch bigs that could also score inside.”
Bosh could do it all, and he proved it in his final season in Toronto. In the 2009-10 season, Bosh dominated the league, averaging 24.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game on 51.8% shooting from the field. He ultimately became the one to sacrifice his statistics to make the Heat trio work. Riley believes it’s an injustice to discredit Bosh since he “was the straw that stirred the drink.”
Medical issues prevented Bosh from a longer dominant career
In the 2014-15 season, LeBron’s decision to return to Cleveland allowed Bosh to channel his past form from his years with the Raptors. However, medical issues ended his career prematurely. Heat head coach, Erik Spoelstra, believes Bosh’s longevity could’ve rivaled the likes of LeBron.
The development of blood clots in the 11-time All-Star’s leg forced him to retire from basketball at 31 years old. In a reality where the health complications didn’t exist, Spoelstra believes Bosh could’ve played till he was 40.
“He’d be playing in this (Heat) team and be perfect fit next to Bam (Adebayo) and because of his body type, length, intelligence for the game,” Spoelstra said. “He could have kept on playing until he was 40, particularly as his skill set grew and the league has changed from when he first came in.”
When asked of him, Bosh seemingly transitioned back into the 20-point-per-game scorer he once was. He didn’t miss a beat in the two seasons after James. All the signs point to Spoelstra’s belief that Bosh could’ve continued playing at a high level for many more years.
