Chris Bosh got the Hall of Fame call one year after most anticipated he would, but the 11-time NBA All-Star will be enshrined as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 alongside contemporaries Paul Pierce, Chris Webber and Ben Wallace.
The 2003 fourth-overall pick of the Toronto Raptors and two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat was a guest on Tim and Friends Thursday to promote his new book and reflect back on his life in basketball.
“I started thinking about things from the inception of when I started loving the game,” Bosh said when asked what went through his mind when his HOF status became official. “Skinning my knees up on the concrete, having those fights at recreation centres, having those fights with teammates after the games and those bus rides and the coaches and the parents putting the activities together for the youth and raising money to hopefully get team uniforms.
“Those were all the things that were going through my head and just being appreciative of those who helped me along the way.”
Unfortunately for Bosh and his fans, the power forward’s career was unexpectedly cut short in 2016 due to health issues relating to blood clots.
Bosh was 31 at the time and still playing at an all-star level when he unwittingly suited up for his final NBA game.
Now at age 37, Bosh admits it took a while him to adjust to life after basketball.
“It was extremely tough,” Bosh explained. “Basketball was everything for me. … Going through those things and having those experiences was great and then when you lose that it’s tough. One thing I tell athletes and those who have to reinvent themselves, it’s not easy and it’s OK to not know what you’re going to do.”
These days Bosh frequently uses his experiences and past adversities to inspire others, give direction to those who seek it and simply appreciate life on a day-to-day basis.
“To tell you the truth, after Kobe (Bryant) passed it put that much more perspective on what’s important and so I take the extra time with the family, with the kids, talking to kids, encouraging people, just trying to be positive and make each day a masterpiece. You do that just by staying in the present and enjoying the day as it is or trying your best to or working hard.”
Bosh’s book is titled “Letters to a Young Athlete” but the 2008 Olympic gold medallist said it is meant to help anyone with goals they wish to accomplish.
