11-time All-Star Chris Bosh is launching an email newsletter, The Last Chip, that will tell the story of the Miami Heat's 2012-13 championship campaign, and he offered a preview of his new project in a wide-ranging interview with TrueHoop on Thursday—revealing some insight into how the “Heatles” joined forces.
Bosh pushed back on the common theory that him, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, concocted the plan to each sign three-year deals and team up in Miami while playing for the “Redeem Team” in 2008, a theory further fueled by the fact that the son of Heat owner Micky Arison, Nick, was around Team USA squad.
“Nick was there, but I can’t say that was like the breeding ground. It was too much pressure to win a gold medal,” Bosh said. “It would have been way cooler if we had more conversations. Maybe D and Bron had a couple conversations. I know I didn’t. I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was trying to be like those guys, going deep into the playoffs.
Chris Bosh did acknowledge that he began considering linking up with his Olympic teammates in South Beach “as free agency got closer”, noting his repeated playoff shortcomings with the Toronto Raptors.
“The 08/09 year, I had a lot going on with myself. I kind of came to some realization how hard it is to win in the NBA…Trying harder and trying harder with no results became deflating. I believe Kobe was coming off the back-to-back. LeBron had been to the Finals, D had won one. And I’m not even scratching the surface. Not even competitive in the first round yet.”
Bosh said the Chicago Bulls were also in the running for the marquee free agents, but couldn't entice all three superstars, in part because they'd be “living under Mike’s shadow.”
The two-time champion touched on a bevy of other topics, including James' championship drive, the backlash the Heat initially received, as well as the state of social activism among athletes and the NBA's response to the ongoing protests.
Bosh, still just 36, was forced into premature medical retirement in 2016 due to complications from blood clots, just as he was stepping into a new role as the Heat's focal point after James' departure and Wade's decline. Bosh now lives in Austin, Texas with his family, and will be eligible for induction in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
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