Al Jefferson breaks down why he hated guarding Chris Bosh: 'He was different'

While the Miami Heat's incredible run of four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two championships is often attributed to the dynamic duo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Chris Bosh's selfless contributions are frequently overlooked. 

Al Jefferson recently shed light on CB4's invaluable presence, emphasizing how the 6'11" center repeatedly had the answers to all of his team's voids, which made him a nightmare for defenders due to his versatility.

Jefferson hated guarding Bosh

Jefferson reached the pinnacle of his career during the 2013-14 season, earning All-NBA Third Team honors while averaging 21.8 points and 1.1 blocks per game, helping his Charlotte Bobcats attain the fifth-best defensive rating in the campaign. However, when the Bobcats faced the Heat in the first round of the playoffs, he encountered a formidable opponent in Bosh.

In peak form, "Big Al" averaged 18.7 points, whereas despite being the third scoring option for the Heat, Bosh averaged 14.5 points on 69.2 percent shooting from the long-range and 51.2 percent from the field. Reflecting on that series during his appearance on the "Out of Mud" podcast, "Big Classic" acknowledged the near-impossible task of guardian Bosh.

"Chris Bosh, I hated guarding him, man. That's when him start shooting threes, I got a little uncomfortable trying to be on defense," Jefferson said. "When he was in Toronto, I hated guarding him. In the post, he was like a guard, he was different. You could go at him but he (will definitely) go at you."

It wasn't in that one particular series where Al found Bosh to be unstoppable. Even in the 27 games (including playoffs), the pair had played against one another; Chris outclassed Jefferson in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks.

Bosh is highly underrated

During the first five seasons with the Toronto Raptors, Bosh demonstrated his scoring prowess by averaging over 24 points while maintaining an efficient over 49 percent shooting in each of those campaigns. 

Upon joining the Heat to form his Big 3 with Lebron and D-Wade, Bosh was aware that his scoring opportunities would be limited. As a result, he conveniently reduced his scoring average to 17.3 points per game while improving his efficiency to 50.8 percent shooting from the field to ensure the team attained its full potential.

It's safe to say Jefferson's admission provides a true picture of just how lethal "The Boshstrich" was and how the Heat organization themselves gained comfort after knowing that they had an All-NBA caliber scorer even if their top two stars failed to fire.