It’s safe to say every superstar’s career must come to an end, but it doesn’t mean flowers cant be given out in the process.
On Saturday night, former NBA forward-center Chris Bosh received the recognition they truly deserved by finally getting inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame.
The former fourth overall pick from the famed 2003 NBA Draft class reached the pinnacle of success in the NBA, winning two championships during the Miami Heat’s Big 3 Era with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Individually, Bosh holds 11-time All-Star appearances and has gotten his jersey retired by Miami, having led the team after James’ departure in the same way he led the Toronto Raptors prior to joining the Heat.
The highlight of the iconic event—in which former NBA stars Paul Pierce, Chris Webber and Ben Wallace amongst others were also inducted—came from no other than Heat president Pat Riley.
In 2010, Riley gave Bosh one of his championship rings, telling Bosh to “return it once we win one together,” igniting a fire in the Dallas native that eventually lead him to his first ever NBA Championship.
Last night, Bosh had the opportunity to finally return the Godfather’s ring on stage, living up to the promise once made 11 years ago. Bosh went on to recall iconic moments experienced in Miami, bringing up the 2011 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and winning two consecutive championships, and the Heat’s historic 27-game winning streak.
He went on to finish his speech with a very powerful message about setbacks and never giving up because of them.
One of the most skilled big men to ever step on the court, Bosh averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game over the course of his 13-year career but ultimately retired in 2019 due to ongoing health issues.
