Chris Bosh
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Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24 1984 in Dallas, Texas) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, selected as the fourth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 2003 NBA Draft. Chris Bosh is developing into one of the best forwards in the Eastern conference, and has often been compared to Kevin Garnett, for their similar builds and style of play.
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Pre-NBA
Bosh led Lincoln High School in Dallas to the No. 1 ranking in the country and the USA Today National Championship with a perfect 40-0 season. Lincoln won the Class 4A state title before 16,990 fans as Bosh racked up 23 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks, garnering significant attention from college recruiters. He was named High School Player of the Year by Basketball America, Powerade Player of the Year in Texas, a First-team all-American by Parade, McDonald's, SLAM Magazine and EA Sports, a Second-team all-American by USA Today, a First-team all-state player, and "Mr. Basketball" in Texas by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.
Bosh chose to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), where he averaged 15.6 points, 9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, leaving after his freshman season to pursue a pro career. Notable college accomplishments include leading the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in field goal percentage (.560, joining Antawn Jamison as the only freshman ever to do so), recording the most blocks in the ACC with 67, ranking second in rebounding (278), eighth in points (485), posting 13 double-doubles (second in the conference), and finishing fourth in the ACC in free throw attempts (174). He is now a starter for the Raptors, playing both power forward and center during the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 NBA seasons.
Bosh, currently listed at 6'10" (2.08 m) and 230 pounds (104 kg), possesses excellent speed, athleticism, and ball handling for a player of his size. He is often referred to by his nickname CB4. This refers to a classic cult movie of the same name, and is a combination of his initials and his jersey number. He stated that he tries to model his playing style to Kevin Garnett, whom he has often been compared to.
NBA career
Thus far in the 2005-2006 season Chris is averaging 22.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.
In his rookie season Bosh was forced to play out of position as the Raptors' starting center after Antonio Davis was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Night in and night out the wiry teenager battled against opponents who had a significant size and strength advantage over him, always playing with skill, determination, and heart. He averaged 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.41 blocks, and 33.5 minutes in 75 games, leading all rookies in rebounding and blocks. Chris was rewarded by being selected to the All-Rookie First Team for the 2003-2004 NBA season and has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice so far in his career: Monday, January 10, 2005, and also on February 6, 2006. He also appeared in the 2004 and 2005 NBA Rookie-Sophomore Game, which took place during the NBA's annual All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado respectively. On February 9, 2006, for the first time in his career, Bosh was selected to play in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas as a reserve forward for the Eastern Conference - only the third Raptor to do so, after Vince Carter and Antonio Davis. Recently, he was selected as one of the 23 players of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.
With the departure of the former disenchanted and often criticized franchise face Vince Carter in December 2004, Bosh was simultaneously anointed as the new leader around whom the franchise would build. In the four months following Carter's departure, Bosh averaged 19.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
In exchange for Carter, Toronto received two first round draft picks, small forward Eric Williams, and centers Aaron Williams and Alonzo Mourning from the New Jersey Nets; Mourning did not report to the Raptors, who later bought out his contract. Joey Graham, on whom the Raptors used one of the picks they received from the Nets, is now playing alongside Bosh.
Prior to the 2005-2006 NBA season, Bosh was named as one of the Raptors' team captains and on February 19, 2006 played in the 55th NBA All-Star Game. Voted in by the league's coaches as a reserve, it was Bosh's first NBA All-Star Game. He finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists in 17 minutes.
Despite his highly impressive numbers, Bosh is still considered to be among the most underrated NBA players. His rather quiet, relaxed personality keeps him out of the spotlight, though his abilities on the court are finally starting to get recognized throughout the basketball world. In March 2006, Bosh was accidentally kicked in the thumb by teammate Pape Sow and is expected to miss the rest of the 2005-2006 season. After his injury, the Toronto Raptors went 1-10
On April 20, 2006, Bosh ended significant speculation about his future with the Raptors, suggesting he would sign a six-year maximum contract extension in the summer of 2006. [1]
Trivia
- Partway through his second season, became the third youngest player in NBA history to record 1000 rebounds, surpassed only by Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett, both of whom were drafted directly from high school.
- Is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of Black Engineers and the Dallas Association of Minority Engineers.
- Worked part-time at Blockbuster, which is headquartered in his hometown of Dallas, during high school.
- Is left-handed.
- Is known to be a very strong family man.
- Chris makes a cameo appearance in NCAA March Madness 2004 in the cutscene where various college players and fans say "EA Sports - it's in the game".
External links
- The Official Website of Chris Bosh - Bosh's official website; still under construction
- Chris Bosh Foundation – information on foundation programs, events and activitiesde:Chris Bosh