For months now, there has been no doubt about it: Chris Bosh is back.
And being selected as a reserve in this year’s NBA All-Star Game, only solidifies this notion for the Miami Heat big man.
Almost a year ago, Bosh was diagnosed with blood clots in his lung, a health concern so serious that many were worried he may never play basketball again. All-Star Weekend would in fact be the center’s last appearance of the season, as Bosh landed himself in the hospital during the team’s few days off. He would not step foot on a court until this summer, as he prepared to rejoin the Heat for 2015-16.
"“That was going to be a huge challenge for me,” Bosh explained. “Nobody knows, not even I knew what I was going to be able to do or what I was going to be capable of doing coming back.”"
Currently averaging 19.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game on 33.6 minutes of play, saying that Bosh came back strong would be an understatement.
This is Bosh’s 11th All-Star appearance, but unlike in the case of teammate Dwyane Wade (who was once again voted as a starter), the veteran still does not feel as though he is “popular.”
"“[The fans] probably just see me and say, `That’s the guy who reads and does all the other stuff.’ I’ve always tried to be important to a team. I know how to play basketball. I play team basketball. I always want to make guys better, of course, assert myself in games. I’ve been around for a while. I never try to really make a case for myself. I just let the work speak for what I do.”"
Wade may indeed be a bigger household name around the league, but Heat Nation certainly knows the importance of what Bosh brings to the table.
Recently, Miami has been struggling with injuries across the board. And although things have not looked nearly as bleak as last year, the Heat have fallen to the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference; they were previously only standing a few games behind the top ranked Cleveland Cavaliers.
Yet, even with missing the likes of Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside, Miami has won their last two games against the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets. And you better believe that both Bosh and Wade were behind the team’s success.
Bosh had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists against the Bulls, and 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists against the Nets.
Hopefully, this year’s trip will erase any negative memories associated with All-Star Weekend for Bosh. Not only does he get to join Wade for the sixth time, but he will be traveling back to Toronto, a place he called home for seven years.
We're just 2 guys living out our dreams. #kidsatheart #6yearsinarowasteammates #TheeHeatNation pic.twitter.com/W2W3HLLyIJ
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 29, 2016
More heat: 'Heat Check' Podcast - A Future Without Hassan Whiteside
The only downside is that despite leading the league in blocks currently (and playing pretty exceptional basketball all around), teammate Hassan Whiteside was left out of All-Star voting this time around. But with the young buck still nursing an oblique injury, perhaps some time off is for the best anyways.