Miami Heat's Chris Bosh-Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With news coming out about Chris Bosh's career being over, we look back on the 10 best moments of his time with the Miami Heat.
On Friday, news most everyone was expecting regarding Chris Bosh's future with the Miami Heat became official. (At least as official as "sources say" scuttle can be.) The talented power forward's career in South Florida is now over. For good.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel was the first to report on the matter. In his own words:
"A medical review by the NBA and the players' union has agreed with the Miami Heat's position that Chris Bosh has suffered a career-ending illness, the Sun Sentinel has confirmed with parties involved with the process. The ruling leaves only the formality of the team placing the former All-Star forward on waivers to remove Bosh, 33, from their salary cap."
Bosh finishes his time in Miami with his name plastered all over the franchise's statistical leader board: No. 5 in points scored (6,914), No. 6 in rebounds (2,816), No. 7 in blocks (332) and No. 6 in win shares (44.2). If not for the blood clots, he would likely place in the top three in every one of those categories.
The news shook many around the basketball community; tweets regarding the new developments surrounding Bosh were redistributed thousands of times. What's more, Basketball Reference went as far as to give their condolences the only way they knew how — by sharing some of the big man's most unique stats.
Bosh is one of the key players to blaze the trail for the "stretch center." Only 3 others had 7500 boards, 900 blocks, & 300 3s pic.twitter.com/S7KMknn3ZX
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) June 3, 2017
Simply put, Bosh was a special player, one could even argue a transcendent one. As such, he had countless memorable moments in South Florida. To honor his incredible career with the Heat, we count down his 10 best. Let's get to it.
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10. Bosh dunks on, like, all of Atlanta
What better way to start off our list than with a vicious dunk? Everyone likes dunks, right?
Though Bosh was never considered a high-flyer (at least not during his time in Miami), he was still known to let loose on the rim every once in a while.
One of his better throw-downs came on Jan. 2, 2012 against the Atlanta Hawks. I would love to single out one specific person he dunked on, but I can't; he slammed it down on about three members of the Peach State franchise, all at once. Here, just see for yourself:
If you remember, the 2012 season was the lockout-shortened campaign that immediately followed the 2011 NBA Finals (because, you see, that's how time works). Not to rehash awful memories, but that was the championship series that culminated with the Heat falling to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
Is it possible Bosh was simply releasing pent-up frustration from both the Finals defeat and the subsequent lockout by dunking on half of Atlanta? Certainly.
If that is the case, we would like to thank Al Horford's head for providing such a comfortable — and safe — landing spot. We appreciate it, big man.
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9. Three straight late three-pointers against Charlotte
Fast forward three years to 2014. Things in Miami were a bit different. The Heat were back-to-back champs, having exorcised their demons from their 2011 defeat.
It was a sleepy, Sunday matinee outing against the Charlotte Hornets — one in which the team from South Beach clearly lacked motivation. Due to their sloppy, bored play, the Heat found themselves down by five with fewer than three minutes remaining in the contest.
Who was it that took it upon themselves to wake everyone out of their foggy haze? That would be Bosh, of course.
He scored 13 straight points, including nailing a three-pointer on three consecutive possessions.
Miami would go on to beat Charlotte by a point. But without their star power forward, who finished the game with 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting and nine rebounds, they wouldn't have.
The win didn't change much, though. The Heat continued to sleep-walk through the regular season (losing three of their next five contests) and all the way through the playoffs, until a Finals defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. That entire 2014 campaign was, for the most part, one I'd rather forget.
Likewise, in the grand scheme of things, this performance was merely a blip in Bosh's amazing career. Nonetheless, it was a pretty fun one.
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8. Bosh three sinks the Spurs
The 2013 season, on the other hand, was incredible. There was the addition of Ray Allen, the 27-game win streak, the…no, actually, we'll get to that part eventually. Apologies.
But yeah, like I was saying, it was the best season in Heat history, without a doubt.
One part of the year that wasn't as fun as the rest, however, was the little game Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra had going with each other. Both guys clearly knew, or at least strongly believed, that their teams were going to meet in the Finals.
Because of their (ultimately correct) premonitions, instead of showing their hand and playing their strongest lineups during the clubs' two regular season matchups, they played coy instead.
The first meeting between Miami and San Antonio, which took place in South Florida, was the now-infamous occasion when Popovich left four of his starters back in Texas, giving them the night off and royally pissing off David Stern in the process. (The Heat would win the game by five.)
The following time the two teams' faced off, Spoelstra returned the favor by resting LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
With two of the Big Three out, Bosh took it upon himself to remind everyone how good he was in own right. He did so in a big way, scoring 23 points, securing nine rebounds and handing out three helpers en route to another Heat victory.
His most memorable bucket of the night was his final one — a game-winning three that came with Miami down by one.
Don't worry: Though this was merely the first appearance of "Big Shot" Bosh on our list, there will be plenty more of him coming up.
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7. Bosh soars on Christmas Day
To the casual basketball fan, the NBA season doesn't start until the Christmas Day games. I'm not condoning that thought process, it's simply the truth.
So for a lot of people, their first time watching the Big Three was on everyone's favorite holiday, in a much-hyped showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant's squad was the two-time reigning-champion, and still the cream of the crop in the NBA, boasting a 21-8 record heading into the matchup with Miami.
The Heat, meanwhile, after a slow start to the season (9-8 through 17 games), were finally rounding into form, having won 13 of their prior 14 contests.
Most expected a tight bout between two powerhouses. Sadly (for Lakers fans, at least), that wasn't the case.
Miami would blow Los Angeles out by a final score of 96-80, in what was a game not as intriguing as advertised. (Maybe that's untrue, as the James/Bryant trash talk from late in the fourth quarter was pretty damn fun. The actual basketball, though? Not that interesting.)
Setting the tone early was a Bosh dunk that, to me, is still the best of his Heat career.
The magnitude, the stage they were playing on, the fact that it was a game between the two favorites to reach the Finals, for Bosh to throw it down like that was an empowering moment for Heat fans.
To see the soft-spoken big man let loose so violently, destroy a rim and silence a crowd in one fell swoop was simply amazing. He would finish the night with 24 points and 13 rebounds to go with his one very memorable dunk.
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6. A deep three to down the Blazers
For the second time in our countdown, we arrive to the dreaded 2014 campaign. Though I hate thinking about that season any more than I have to, it was a superb year for Bosh game-winners, so we have no choice but to (mentally) travel back to it once more.
The night was Dec. 28. The opponent, the Portland Trail Blazers. LeBron got the night off, as it was the team's third game in four nights. As was almost always the case when one of the other members of the Big Three would sit out, Bosh took it upon himself to make up for the lost production.
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On this occasion, though, he did so even more explosively than usual. Bosh finished the night with 37 points, 10 rebounds, three three-pointers and two steals in what was a thrilling 108-107 Heat victory.
His most spectacular bucket came with just seconds remaining. Miami was down by two, with fewer than eight ticks left on the clock. On the previous play, Wade got the ball and drove it in for an easy layup. Portland was clearly expecting the Heat to try a similar action on the final play, so they decided to try and stop Miami's 2-guard at all costs.
When Wade got the ball again, Bosh set a pick to spring him loose. Two Blazers followed the 2006 Finals MVP. That left the supremely talented stretch-4 wide open behind the three-point line.
However, Wade's pass was errant (probably because he tried to throw it behind his back), so Bosh had to take a couple steps even further away from the cup to catch it.
What happened next will be a part of Heat lore forever:
Nothing but net; Big Shot Bosh, at it again.
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5. Bosh shows up the Hawks again
For the second time on our list, we get Bosh clowning the poor Hawks. The first was a vicious throw-down; this one shows the other end of his vast skill-set.
It was a Jan. 5 outing in Atlanta. This time, it wasn't just James sitting out, but Wade as well. Alongside Bosh, the Heat started Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, James Jones and Joel Anthony, against a pretty good Hawks team that went on to win 40 of their 66 games in the lockout-shortened season of 2012.
For all intensive purposes, it's a game Miami should have lost. Instead, behind a 33-point, 14-rebound, five-assist performance by Bosh, they did the opposite.
It wasn't easy, though.
With exactly 10 seconds remaining, they Heat were down by three, with the ball. In what can only be described as a broken pick-and-pop play, Chalmers somehow found a way to attract a double team (seriously, Atlanta?), and dished a quick pass to Bosh for a three.
As is he prone to do in such moments, Bosh nailed it. Fading away, hand in his face and falling out of bounds — didn't matter. The ball barely grazed the net.
Miami wound up winning 116-109 in triple overtime. Shoutout to Big Shot Bosh.
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4. A dagger tip-in against the hated Celtics
The Big Three came together for one reason, above all else: To take down the Boston Celtics. Their first test against their former tormentors came in the 2011 NBA Playoffs — Wade, LeBron and Bosh's first postseason together as a unit.
It was the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Miami held a 2-1 series lead. A win would have had the Heat feeling great about their chances heading back to South Beach; a loss to Boston would have seen the series deadlock again, and things may have gotten tight.
Game 4 was a back-and-forth heavyweight bout. With the contest tied at 86, Paul Pierce even got a decent look at a step-back jumper for the win. Luckily, it trickled off the side of the rim and the two teams had overtime on their hands.
The teams exchanged baskets, bumps, box-outs and angry glances. Nonetheless, with fewer than 30 seconds remaining, Miami held a precarious three-point lead. On the proceeding play, LeBron had the ball at the top of the key with Kevin Garnett defending.
Against most big men, James would find a way to score — usually rather easily.
But against Garnett? One of the best defenders ever? It wouldn't be so simple. The superstar wing wasn't able to find a seam to drive, so he pulled up from midrange.
Brick.
But because Garnett was on the perimeter guarding James, Bosh was left nearly alone near the tin. And since Bosh is one of the savviest Heat players ever, he perfectly timed the ball's trajectory and flight off the rim, and tipped in the dagger. Miami took Game 4 and the series would end in five.
(Big Tip-In Bosh? Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it.)
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3. An NBA Finals appearance by Big Shot Bosh
One of the most underappreciated game-winners in Heat history came to close one of Miami's two victories in the 2011 NBA Finals.
And I sorta get it. It came with 39.6 seconds remaining, which is atypical for a shot defined as a game-winner. Plus, because Miami lost the series, everything that happened over the course of it got compartmentalized and forgotten. (I know I reject the memory's very existence, at least.)
Had the Heat taken the series (in other words, had LeBron not…never mind), we would obviously remember the shot more fondly. Or, I don't know, talk about it sometimes? Like, ever?
I mean, overall, it was a pretty sweet play. Wade and James ran a pick-and-roll, two defenders followed the former, who dished a pass to the latter at the top of the key. The superstar received the ball cleanly, drawing Tyson Chandler out away from the rim.
Dirk Nowitzki, whose job it was to defend the area Bosh was in (because if you remember, the Mavs ran that stupid, annoying zone for long stretches in that series), got sealed inside by a Udonis Haslem pick.
Bosh caught the ball and, from a spot that was usually reserved for the guy who sprung him open with a screen, nailed the midrange jumper.
Game 3 was Miami's.
Unfortunately, the series would not be. Oh well, we can't fault Bosh (or Wade) for that.
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2. Bosh blocks Green, extends the 2013 NBA Finals
One of the most important performances of Bosh's career came in a game where he scored merely 10 points, shot 5-of-12 and missed his only free throw attempt. It was such an inspired showing by the big man, in fact, that two of his plays from that contest round out our countdown. And they both came on defense.
Of course, we're talking about Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals.
With just under two seconds remaining, the Heat held a three-point lead. Facing the Spurs, that lead felt about as precarious as any three-point lead could feel. Everyone knew coach Popovich had some sort of trickery up his sleeve.
With the legendary Tim Duncan inbounding, Tiago Splitter sprinted towards Allen to set a pick, who was glued to Danny Green deep in three-point range. Bosh, who never did get enough credit for how cerebral he was as a player, immediately identified what was going on.
Green was able to escape Allen's grasp, and floated to the corner for a game-tying attempt from beyond the arc.
Just one problem: Bosh knew what was going to happen before the pass was even made. Thus, he met Green in the corner, rose (maybe a touch too recklessly), and blocked the shot straight into the hardwood floor of the AmericanAirlines Arena, giving Miami life in the series.
Clean block, and the biggest in Heat history, bar none.
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1. One of the biggest rebounds in league history
If we didn't have the Rebound, we would have never gotten the Block or the Shot.
I don't think I really have to set the stage for this one, either.
Miami was down by three. LeBron had just clanked a shot from deep off the rim. Duncan was inexplicably on the bench. Bosh rose, snatched the rebound out of Manu Ginobili's hands and laid off a beautifully delicate pass into Allen's retreating frame.
Allen caught it, got behind the three-point line and, well, the rest was history.
It was one of the most brilliant plays ever, and one that defined Bosh's career. The wherewithal to locate the ball, the tenacity to snatch it away from Manu Ginobili (a persistent player in his own right) and the skill to place it right in Allen's chest. He's one of the few big men ever who could have pulled off the entire sequence.
But Bosh will be remembered as more than just a basketball player.
Though it hurts to know he's struggling to figure out what his next path in life is going to be, you can be sure of one thing: Whatever passion he does decide to purse — whether that's becoming a computer programmer, playing guitar in a blues band, coaching an NBA team (or who knows, playing on one?) — he's going to excel. That's just how freakishly talented he is as a person.
There's nothing else left to say but thanks for the memories, Big Shot Bosh. And good luck.
