Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had some major praise for former Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who grew up in Canada, believes that Bosh was severely underrated during his NBA career, referencing the Hall of Famer’s time with the Toronto Raptors as a reason why.
When asked about who he thinks is an NBA player in history that’s underrated, SGA said Chris Bosh: “Growing up, I got to watch a lot of Raptors games. He was the star of the team. He was a catalyst for Toronto basketball growing up.”
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) February 18, 2023
Bosh, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by Toronto, spent his first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Raptors before he joined the Heat to form the Big 3 with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
An 11-time All-Star, Bosh was a star for the Raptors, averaging over 22 points per game in five consecutive seasons before he joined the Heat. He made the All-Star team in every season from the 2005-06 campaign through the 2015-16 season.
Bosh’s NBA career was cut short due to blood clots, as he didn’t play again in the league following the 2015-16 season. Still, his resume was enough to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.
When he came to Miami, Bosh sacrificed a little bit in his role to help the Heat be successful. He saw his field-goal attempts per game drop from 16.5 in his final year in Toronto to 13.7 in his first season with the Heat.
That sacrifice did hurt Bosh’s numbers, but he did it for the sake of winning, something Heat fans can always appreciate.
With Bosh, Wade and James playing together, the Heat went to four consecutive NBA Finals, capturing two titles in the process. Bosh was an integral part of the team’s success, averaging 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game across four postseasons for the Heat.
Gilgeous-Alexander obviously has some ties to Bosh since he watched him play for his hometown team, and it’s great to see the former Heat great get the recognition he deserves.
Since Bosh’s career was cut short, fans never got a chance to see him put up the counting numbers in career points, rebounds and more into his mid-30s. Bosh likely would have added several accolades to his resume as well.
Heat fans will always appreciate Bosh’s time in Miami, as it was one of the best eras in franchise history. It’s nice to see a current player like Gilgeous-Alexander appreciate his greatness as well.
