Bosh: It’s ‘amazing’ to be Hall nominee
Could join Mourning, Shaq, Riley as inductees with strong ties to Heat
MIAMI — Having spent much of his career in the shadows, first as part of LeBron James’ draft class and then while teaming with James and Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat’s championship Big Three, Chris Bosh could find himself entering the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in a similar manner.
Bosh, 35, is among a star-studded cast of players announced as nominees for August induction in Springfield, Mass., along with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
According to Basketball Reference’s Hall of Fame probability calculator, Bosh is listed with a 99.5% chance for induction.
“He should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said last March, when the Heat retired Bosh’s No. 1 jersey.
Despite a career cut short by illness, Bosh was an 11-time AllStar. No player with eight or more All-Star selections has been denied Hall nomination.
The initial list of nominees will be reduced to a list of finalists on Feb. 14 during NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, with the Hall’s Class of 2020 to be announced during the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Atlanta in April.
“Truly an honor,” Bosh posted on his Instagram account. “My career ended earlier than expected and that hurt immensely.
To come to this point being nominated for the Hall of Fame with my heroes is truly an amazing feeling.”
Bosh could become the second Heat player to have both his jersey retired by the team and a place in the Hall of Fame, joining Shaquille O’Neal.
Already enshrined in Springfield for careers that included time with the Heat are O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Ray Allen and Pat Riley. Former Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo and former Heat executive Billy Cunningham also are in the Hall.
Among those with Heat ties also included in the list of 2020 nominees are former Heat players Tim Hardaway, Dale Ellis and Shawn Marion. Hardaway previously has been a finalist for nomination, with his jersey retired by the Heat along with those of O’Neal, Mourning and Bosh. Hardaway is listed with a 79% chance of induction, according to Basketball Reference.
Bosh’s career was cut short by a series of medical episodes related to blood clots, with his final game coming prior to the midseason AllStar break in Feb. 2016.
He initially contested the Heat’s medical finding that it would be too dangerous to continue his career, formally retiring in February 2019. He later reconciled with the Heat, with his No. 1 jersey retired last March. He currently serves as a team ambassador at community events, as well as helping players on the team’s practice court.
“Circumstances of life happened and you’ve just got to try your best to navigate through them,” he said.
In addition to his four NBA Finals appearances with the Heat and championships in 2012 and ‘13, Bosh was part of the United States gold-medal team at the 2008 Olympics.
Enshrinement for this year’s class with be on Aug. 29.