Former Miami Heat legend Chris Bosh is achieving a goal few NBA players ever get experience on Saturday, getting inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 11-time All-Star is enjoying the week leading up to his induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, and on Thursday, shared the most hilarious video on Instagram featuring his former teammate, LeBron James, with whom he won two NBA championships back-to-back in 2012 and 2013.
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Bosh captioned the video post, “Between the heartbreak and the wins, the joys and the losses, the great and the terrible that come with a 13 year NBA career… I had a lot of fun. #BoshHoF #21HoopClass.”
The video features a compilation of all the times Bosh bombed LeBron’s postgame interviews, either by purposely walking straight in from the camera, or literally crashing into the now-Los Angeles Lakers star. The 2003 fourth overall pick out of Georgia Tech didn’t just target LeBron with his wild ways, he bombed a good amount of Dwyane Wade’s live on-camera chats, as well.
GettyDwyane Wade (L) Chris Bosh #1 (C) of the Miami Heat and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers (R) joke after the game at Quicken Loans Arena on February 11, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.
After LeBron saw Bosh’s Instagram post, he quickly responded with a comment of his own. The four-time MVP wasn’t able to find the rights words but replied with a long line laughing-cry emoji faces: “😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.” Few people can make LeBron, a 17-time All-Star laugh that hard — yet another honor Bosh can put in his back pocket.
Bosh’s NBA Career was Cut Short Due to Medical Issues
“I never felt like a patient in a hospital before.” – Chris Bosh on his fight with blood clots (via @uninterrupted)
While Bosh has a lot of fun memories of his time playing ball, he’s also reminisced on how difficult it was for him to walk away from the NBA. In fact, if this was up to Bosh, he’d still be a member of the Heat roster right alongside OG Udonis Haslem, who’s the oldest player in the entire NBA at age 41.
Bosh’s abruptly career ended near the middle 2015-2016 season due to a second bout with blood clots. He tweeted on September 8, “My career didn’t end soaked in champagne, celebrating a championship, or even in tears on the court. It ended in a doctor’s office in the middle of the afternoon. But when a door is closed, a window opens.”
My career didn’t end soaked in champagne, celebrating a championship, or even in tears on the court. It ended in a doctor’s office in the middle of the afternoon. But when a door is closed, a window opens.
New challenges ahead. #BoshHOF #21HoopClass
While Bosh desperately tried to get back on the court, the NBA wouldn’t clear him to play after failing his physical examination. Suffering from blood clots can be fatal, and playing professional-level sports while on blood thinners would only put his life in even more danger.
As one of the most decorated power forward in the league, if healthy, there’s little doubt Bosh would’ve enjoyed more successful years in the NBA. But as it stands, Bosh did more than enough during his 13 years in the league to become a Hall of Famer.
Bosh appeared in 893 career regular-season games and started 881 of them. His career average was 19.2 points per game while shooting 49.4% from the floor, 33.5% on threes, and 79.9% from the free-throw line, per NBA.com.
Heat President Pat Riley Will Be Bosh’s Hall of Fame Presenter
GettyPresident Pat Riley of the Miami Heat looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at American Airlines Arena on December 25, 2020.
The Heat retired Bosh’s No. 1 jersey in 2019, and the franchise’s president, Pat Riley be presenting his former All-Star at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Also in attendance, Ray Allen, another former Heat star.
Per Sun Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman, Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Bosh, “His body of work spoke for itself, and I think he always was able to do it with a great deal of class and professionalism, a real quiet confidence about him that uplifted everybody in the building.”
This is beyond deserved. Congrats @ChrisBosh! Looking forward to watching you claim your rightful place in the @HoopHall
Other former Heat players that are enshrined in the Hall of Fame include Allen, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, and Alonzo Mourning. It’s largely expected for Wade to get inducted in a few years, and LeBron will most certainly follow suit.
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