Chris Bosh is the most maligned member of the Miami Heat's Big Three, but his recent All-Star selection (the eighth of his career) is a reminder that he has been one of the best big men in the NBA for a long time. Not that Bosh needed to be reminded.
The Heat center/forward told Fox Sports Friday night that he thinks he will be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame after he retires.
"Hell, yeah, of course. I've been a Hall of Famer like four years ago," he said. "And I say that very serious, though. I've talked about it before with my friends."
That kind of statement won't win over Bosh's critics, but he and his Heat teammates no longer seem concerned with answering their critics. The accolades keep coming to the Big Three, regardless.
Bosh said of his All-Star selection, "It never gets old. Just to be able to have that opportunity to be an All-Star, it's just incredible for me."
Teammate Dwyane Wade said Bosh "is on the right path," but assistant coach Bob McAdoo (a Hall of Famer himself) was more cautious. "It's hard to say," he said of Bosh's chances for the Hall. "You don't know the credentials they're looking for. A lot of times, you never know. It's still too early."
But Bosh is certainly on his way, especially when considering his career averages (19.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game) and similarity to one of the game's greatest power forwards. Stats website Basketball Reference compares players of all eras by comparing their win shares over the length of their careers.
Bosh's most similar player through nine seasons is James Worthy, the Lakers forward who was also third banana in a championship winning team with two other Hall of Famers. Worthy only played three more season's after his ninth, and suffered a severe dropoff in production.
If Bosh can continue to contribute his career averages (and preferably win a few more championships), the Hall of Fame is certainly going to give him heavy consideration.