The Miami 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 inspire awe even now, nearly 10 years after their final season in Miami. However, Bosh’s skill and contribution is largely forgotten. Heat legend Udonis Haslem couldn’t help but share his frustration at the lesser treatment the big man receives from modern NBA fans.
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On a recent episode of The OGs, Heat team president Pat Riley appeared as a guest alongside hosts Haslem and Mike Miller. The conversation shifted toward the Heat’s iconic Big Three. Riley praised Bosh, which led 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 is right in being frustrated with the discourse surrounding Bosh’s skill level. Claxton is only 25 years old and in his sixth season. Plenty of time to expand his career one would imagine. But the odds of him evolving into an All-Star caliber player are low. In Bosh’s sixth season, he was already a four-time All-Star and had earned All-NBA Team honors too.
A majority of NBA fans discredit Bosh’s abilities based on his reduced role with Miami. However, his tenure with the Toronto Raptors before joining the Heat, exemplifies where he stands as a player. Riley highlighted this, while saying,
“When [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. He proved it in his final year in Toronto emphatically. 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.
With the Heat, he became the one to sacrifice his statistics to make the 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 the Cleveland Cavaliers allowed Bosh to bring back some of his past form. When the situation demanded, Bosh effortlessly transitioned back into the 20-point-per-game scorer he once was. He didn’t miss a beat in the two seasons after James.
However, medical issues ended his career prematurely. The development of blood clots in the 11-time All-Star’s leg forced him to retire from basketball at 31.
Heat head coach, Erik Spoelstra, believes that had Bosh continued, he could’ve rivalled the likes of LeBron and possibly 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.”
Bosh, with his uncanny ability to transition into different roles within the team as per the need, was indeed a player whose influence went beyond statistical highlights.
