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LeBron James Gets Blunt About Chris Bosh After Rich Paul’s Bold Statement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Orlando Silva | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 10:20 AM ET

Exactly a week after his agent and close friend Rich Paul tried to diminish Chris Bosh's impact on the Miami Heat, LeBron James explained how the retired two-time NBA champion gave the team the versatility to compete and beat their opponents in a time when the league was starting to change.

Bosh wasn't only a menace under the rim but also a solid mid-range and 3-point shooter. His ability to score from different zones allowed the Miami Heat to try different lineups to give space to shooters and a pair of slashers, James and Dwyane Wade.

In an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" last week, Paul said the early 2010s Heat didn't have a Big Three, downplaying Bosh's level.

"I—you know, the big three thing has never really worked. And you say, ‘Well, what happened in Miami?’ That wasn’t really a big three. There were three guys that were winning the lottery, and they did really well individually on their team. So they put up big numbers and had big accomplishments. But when you think about it, Bosh was the ultimate professional. He took a back seat, and he played a role in which—because he had such a high IQ and he was such a professional as an individual—his approach to everything is what made that work."

During Tuesday's installment of his "Mind the Game" podcast, James noted how important having a big man with Bosh's characteristics benefited the Heat team that went to four straight NBA Finals and won two titles.

"We didn't obviously in Miami my second year when 'Spo' was a genius to be able to move Bosh to the five," James said. "We played big early on with Joel Anthony and Chris Bosh or Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh. I think when Bosh went to the five, it gave us some versatility as well.

"Being more athletic, being a lot longer, being able to open up the court a lot more so CB could hit the corner three."

While he wasn't as spectacular as he was with the Toronto Raptors, Bosh was still a solid piece for the Miami Heat. Just like now, James used to call Bosh the key factor for the Heat's success.

Despite a sad end to his career, Bosh became one of the best players in Heat history after helping the team add two more championships and staying loyal to the organization even after James returned to Cleveland.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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