Last night, Chris Bosh was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a crucial part of the Miami Heat for years, helping bring two rings to South Beach.
Bosh was, is, and always will be loved by the fans. Despite LeBron James and Dwyane Wade leading the way, Bosh’s sacrifices were a huge reason the Heat were able to win at such a high level.
He went from being the guy in Toronto to having to take a step back with the Heat. Despite this, he embraced the role he was given and did whatever it took to help the team win.
On top of all that, the way Bosh’s career came to an end was absolutely heartbreaking. At one point he was the last member of the Big 3 left, but health issues cut his career short.
Issues with blood clots forced him to call it quits, but the Miami Heat chose to pay the ultimate respect and retire his jersey number. Just a few years later, and Bosh finds himself as a part of a stacked 2021 Hall of Fame class.
When Bosh was giving his speech at the ceremony, which was gorgeous, by the way, there was one moment in particular that stood out. He and Pat Riley shared a heartfelt moment as Bosh told an old story of before he joined the Heat.
Bosh chose Riley as the person he wanted to induct him into the Hall of Fame, and once the two were on stage, Bosh decided to tell the story of when Riley recruited him to the Heat.
According to Bosh, Riley pulled out an array of championship rings at the end of the meeting. He handed one to Bosh and told him to return it when they won one together.
Well, the pair did win a couple of rings together, but Bosh never gave that one back – until last night. He walked over to Riley and handed him the ring he gave him back in 2011.
It was an amazing moment between two amazing human beings. Bosh deserves the world, and Miami Heat fans should realize what a special player, and person, they got to watch for so many years.
Congratulations, Chris! You deserve it all!