Chris Bosh: DeMar DeRozan’s Introduction to Tough Love
Before Chris Bosh became a member of the Miami Heat in 2010, he was the face of the Toronto Raptors. Starting his career there in 2003, he had a chance to see a variety of rotations, as year after year Toronto tried to rebuild from the ground up. In 2009, the Raptors drafted rookie DeMar DeRozan and even though that was Bosh’s last year there, it seems as though DeRozan soaked up quite a bit from the Heat star.
"“He was tough on me from the standpoint, I think he knew how good I could be,” DeRozan told Basketball Insiders. “I was the starting guard with him, Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon. I was the only rookie out there. A lot of mistakes I made, he would just be hard on me about it so I could be better. He was a good dude. He’s a good friend of mine.”"
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Although Bosh may not necessarily be what people would consider outspoken compared to some other athletes in this league, his words certainly had an impact on then 20-year-old DeRozan; fresh out of his only year at the University of Southern California (USC), he was a fish out of water among a veteran starting lineup. And instead of babying DeRozan, Bosh employed tough love as a strategy.
"“One game we were playing Miami in Miami and I wouldn’t shoot the ball,” remembered DeRozan. “He yelled at me, saying, ‘Shoot the ball! Shoot the ball!’ I just took from that have confidence in yourself. No matter if you miss it, continue to keep playing, continue to keep shooting.”"
Clearly whatever teaching method Bosh used was worth it, as DeRozan worked his way up from averaging 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists as a rookie to a career-best 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals just last year. And despite it being more than four years since the two were on the same team, DeRozan still credits Bosh with his success.
"“I think he’s a Hall of Famer, honestly,” DeRozan said. “He’s got the rings, he’s been an All-Star every year. He averaged 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds a couple years, and I think he’s back on the verge of doing that again this year. He’s just a dynamic, hell of a power forward. “(I missed) everything (about Bosh) because we were terrible, we were terrible back then. It was a learning experience. He kind of left the team to me and I’ve been here ever since.”"
Hopefully Bosh’s way of passing down information has only improved, and rookies Shabazz Napier, James Ennis and Andre Dawkins can learn as much if not more from him. Fresh legs certainly have their perks, but experience will always be invaluable.