Heat star Chris Bosh chatted live with fans in China on the NBA’s official Weibo page on Thursday 7 Jan. Here’s what CB had to say about his team, his goals for the year and Dwyane Wade’s arcade
Do you name your moves?
Haha! You know what, I don’t. But that’s a phenomenal idea. I definitely need to name some of my moves. I don’t have many. They’re like my kids…and I need to name them. Great idea.
What are your thoughts about the road trip coming up?
The road trip’s gonna be great. We’re in Phoenix now, gearing up for everything. Every team reaches a point in the schedule where you’re gonna be tested. We’re here, we’re excited. We’ve got to hit the ground running. This is gonna be a true test of the team, to reveal where we’re at.
You’ve shot more and more 3’s over time. Was that strategic?
For the 3-point shot, I think it was a little strategic. I had a buddy tell me you can shoot an 18-footer with ease, and if you take a few steps back you can make that, and I’ve brought that to the team and had success with it.
I love McDonald’s, I love McNuggets, but I can’t eat it all the time! Do you watch your calories?
No, I don’t care about the calories, haha! I’m built a certain way, a little thinner than the usual big guy, but I indulge sometimes. That said, I try to limit my junk food though, to limit my fast food. That’s important. Just eat good stuff. Nuts, fruits, veggies, lean meats. I’m not a nutritionist, but cutting out junk food & sugary drinks goes a long way
A friend of mine is going to Miami. What should he see?
I’d of course go to the American Airlines Arena! Check that out. Go to the old parts of Miami. Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, check out the part of Miami that isn’t as touristy to get a real feel for the city. Then the beach & downtown…see the shining lights, get a t-shirt.
When you were sick last year, did you ever think of stopping playing basketball? And what would you have done if you did?
Nah, never thought of giving up playing ball. One thing I realized when I was sick is that playing basketball is a huge part of my life, and it’s given me everything. I owe so much to the game, and I’m living my dream at the same time. Compared to that situation, hoops was easy. If I would’ve had to give it up, I’d have stayed involved though. No matter what I do I’ll be involved
Do you ever think of retiring? Would you want to be like Kobe where you’re playing as much as you can until the very end, or more like Garnett where it’s limited?
When it’s time to retire it’s time to retire. Don’t write Kobe off just yet!
Yeah, I’ve thought about retiring plenty of times. I’m 31, will be 32 in March. And that’s starting to be near the expiration date for a basketball player is, so it crosses your mind. It’s becoming more real. You see more young guys and it’s hard to continue being competitive, and I’m going through that now. While I’m playing well right now, I still think about it every day. It’s realistic. But until then I’m playing basketball.
Once I’m done, I think I’ll be done. I have demanding kids, and a wife who demands my attention. When I’m finished, me playing basketball will be an afterthought.
When you lost to the Knicks you said ‘we’re not there yet.’ What do you mean?
I think just looking for consistency, day in and day out. Every day we have to have it, offensively & defensively. Our mental toughness has to go up a few notches. With those 2 things you find ways to win games.
Now we have a good record but we haven’t won more than 3 in a row. We have to make sure that when things get tough, we get tough too, and know how to respond. We want to stay together as a team, to run our offense, to keep playing our roles even when it gets tough. Those are things winning teams do – not teams just over .500, but teams trying to win championships. We’re still trying to get to that level.
You gotta go through it to understand, I think. When you’re young, it’s easy for guys to think you’ll have it because you showed up. Not the case. You actually have to go through it and respond the right way, get things wrong, come back to the table like ‘Hey I got this new thing…nope that didn’t work either, but I’ll be back.’ You gotta keep coming back and having a good attitude about it. And if you do that, good things will happen.
We have to prove we’re serious about it. You look at the Warriors, Spurs, Cleveland, people say we’re here to win a title they say they’re serious. We say that and they’re like ‘OK…’ or they don’t believe us. But we have to do the work and be serious about it. It’s more than just words. I hope people pay attention to my actions, and not just what I’m saying.
What All-Star do you remember most? And what do you think about this year?
Probably Dallas because I’m from Dallas! I was excited to play in that one, and at the Cowboys Stadium. 100,000 people there, it was awesome. I wanted MVP, but of course Dwyane had a stellar stat line. I’m excited about Toronto. It’ll be interesting to have it outside the country. That’s good for the sport, the country, the city. That was my 2nd home in Dallas after a while, hopefully I make it and go back in a different setting. It’ll be special.
You started your career in Toronto. How special would it be to play an All-Star Game there?
It’d be awesome. I’d have never thought the All-Star Game would be in Toronto. I’d think they’d stick to warm cities and everything and that would be that. When we were there we were like what if they have it in Toronto…yeah it’s not gonna be here.
Now it’s actually happening. Now that the city’s changed so much, the organization, the infrastructure, me…it’ll be special. I think of it as something where, when I’m done playing, how cool it’ll be. At this point in my career I’m looking at everything from a different perspective. It’ll be awesome.
I still played most of my career there. Being this is my 6th year in Miami I played 7 years in TO. It’ll be half & half next year.
How often do you and D-Wade play video games in his basement?
We don’t really play video games much, but he has an old Ms. Pac-Man machine. We got in a competition with close friends, seeing whoever can get the high score. It got out of hand, but I won it. It’s been re-set since then.
I gotta win at everything I do. I was playing one day and he was like ‘I’m getting a massage,’ and I was like ‘I know how to let myself out.’ I stayed there, and I kept playing. And I won.
I saw you make a buzzer-beater and was so inspired. How do you do that?
I don’t even know. You just play basketball. Coming down, it’s a low-percentage shot. It’s very hard. It’s just being in the right place at the right time. I just try to get a shot off. Sometimes it goes in, most times it doesn’t, but it’s all about confidence and looking for those situations.
Before playing basketball did you ever thought about playing any other sport?
I played baseball. I never thought of it professionally, but I played tee ball, then baseball all the way until high school. I was a pitcher, but a much better 1st baseman. I never had much of an arm.
What would you say to someone that really loves playing basketball, but is living on a very small city that doesn’t offer any structure for the sport?
Find a way to play if at all possible. Find a goal. I used to play with trash cans. We used to cut out the bottom of a bucket and put it on a wall and play that way.
You can get really creative. I love bringing basketball to other countries, because it’s a sport where you don’t necessarily have to have a lot of space or people to play. But until guys figure out how to get a goal or how to really be creative, it can be a little challenging.
Can you tell us more about your amazing partnership with Wade on court and why do you think it works so well?
We’ve been through so many battles. So many games together, so many situations. He’s been my neighbor, too. He’s more than just a teammate, he’s a great friend, a close friend.
I think it’s just been years of experience together, doing great work, trying to win championships, pushing each other to the limit to continue to stay on top. It’s been a great thing. I think when we’re all done we’re gonna look back and marvel at how great everything was.
It’s been a little bit of time, and right now we’re trying to push this team to greatness. It’s not an easy thing but it’s always working. The example starts with us, so every night we have to come in and do what we’re supposed to do because we have everyone watching us.
How do you feel about potentially participating of an All Star game in Toronto, the city of the Raptors?
It’d be awesome. I’d have never thought the All-Star Game would be in Toronto. I’d think they’d stick to warm cities and everything and that would be that. When we were there we were like what if they have it in Toronto…yeah it’s not gonna be here. Now it’s actually happening. Now that the city’s changed so much, the organization, the infrastructure, me…it’ll be special. I think of it as something where, when I’m done playing, how cool it’ll be. At this point in my career I’m looking at everything from a different perspective. It’ll be awesome.
I still played most of my career there.
What was your favorite NBA moment before you become a NBA player?
That’s easy. Jordan Game 6 in Utah. Easily. Everybody was watching, of course I was watching the whole 3-peat. He had me knowing what I know now, how difficult that is. It’s hard to hit a game-winning shot in the regular season. He hit one for the championship. That’s nearly impossible. For him to be so structured & routine in it was quite amazing.
Of course I didn’t understand then, but everybody watching the game of course it was a moment in history. Everybody knows where they were when he hit that shot. That whole team, his iconic shot, that was my favorite.
