The Most Successful Ex Raptor Will Be Chris Bosh

I have to admit I find it strange watching Chris Bosh be on the verge of winning an NBA Title. It is in some ways his ultimate validation for doing what he did. If everyone was truly honest his choice to leave the Raptors was the right one. Part of me will be happy for Chris Bosh if he in fact wins an NBA title. I would not say the same for guys like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. The reason why is simple really. I think in the seven years that Bosh was a Raptor he gave all that he had to try to win in Toronto. At the end of the day this organization did not put enough talent around him to win here.

It just seems like Bosh has changed in some ways though. This was a guy that once claimed he wanted to be part of the solution in Toronto. That he wanted to be the man and win a title as that man. Bosh hit a clutch shot in last nights win for Miami. Dallas was far to worried about James and Wade and it left Bosh with a wide open jumper thanks to a pick set by Haslem. Earlier in that game Chris Bosh was down in a heap looking like Vince Carter down on the ground looking like he had been shot. But in the end this major injury that left his team playing 5 on 4 at the other end of the floor was an apparent poke in the eye. I mean honestly it is the NBA Finals get your butt up and go play defence.

Bosh has just become a figure of contradiction to me. This once quiet kid that came here from Georgia Tech now seems to crave spotlight and attention as much as he does a championship ring. He takes a lot of the Heat in terms of Miami's failures while not getting much in terms of praise. He is the clear third in this trio. In fact some have down graded him right out of the mix and leave him out of conversation with Wade and James. There is no question they are on a different level from Bosh. I just am not sure what I make of it all.

I just feel that Chris Bosh somewhere along the line has changed. Based on that change my feelings about him have as well. I still will never hate the guy. But at the same time he makes it awful difficult to root for him and support him. I never have hated Vince Carter either. Vince is more a case to me of utter disappointment. A guy that should be in conversations with Kobe and Lebron is not based on the simple fact that he just gets by on his amazing talent. Unlike Bosh who I feel has had to work hard to get everything that he has. Chris Bosh after his rookie year was not a lock to be an All Star someday. I think we all expected him to be good. But did we really expect him to be that good? Not like his super friends in Miami from his draft class who everyone expected greatness from almost right away. Wade was selected behind Bosh but quickly surpassed him. Bosh in that great draft class was still able to prove worthy of being selected in that top 5. It might be the greatest draft class in most of our lifetimes.

The fact that three of the top five in that draft class all are on the same team is mind boggling. It makes it easy to see why people hate them. After all this is a roster that some kid makes on his Playstation or X-Box. Yet this is happening in real life in the NBA. When all is said and done the Miami Heat may go down as one of the most hated teams in the history of sports. They have a swagger to them that people find annoying. It is like they have spit in the face of tradition and unwritten rules all to get personal glory.

One thing that was always said when Chris Bosh was a Raptor was that he wanted to win. He wanted to win so bad that he perhaps sold his soul to do it. Maybe Chris Bosh is still the same guy he always was. Maybe we never really got to know the actual guy in his time in Toronto. I really am not sure what the answer is. He has put himself in the best position to win though no one can deny that.

Assuming the likely happens and Miami Heat win two more games and win an NBA Title I am not sure how I feel. Part of me wants to feel happy for Chris. But it just has a real sick taste to it. The Miami Heat make themselves hard to love, admire or appreciate. Still you can not deny the talent of Chris Bosh or this team. Bosh is still a great player and of the three guys has likely given up the most to get this chance at being a champion. Wade will always be the hero for bringing these two to Miami. He is the guy that stayed with his team. Lebron will always be love him, or hate him, one of the best to play the game. Maybe not in the class of a Micheal Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell but he should be some day. While Bosh is the guy that had his role dramatically reduced. He is not longer the star player that can avoid a lot of criticism about his game. He has taken a lot of shots not just from people in Toronto but from the media in general.

All that being said he asked for all of it both the good and the bad by agreeing to leave and be part of this trio. At the end of the day for Chris Bosh I hope it will all be worth it for him. I really liked the Chris Bosh that was in Toronto for seven years. I hope for that guy he is happy and can win. But I am not sure I can be happy with him. But I will at least not be rooting against him.

One thing is true that Chris Bosh has been the most successful in terms of winning in his post Raptors career than any of the others before him. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady never came close to an NBA Title let along the NBA finals. But they never had two all-stars better than them to carry the load. No matter if you are rooting against him or not. The fact is you are watching him and the Heat and that makes it good for business if you are the NBA.

Bosh by winning a title will have a ring that is the ultimate validation to him he made the right choice and to everyone else he has the ultimate in your face.