Heat raises Bosh's No. 1 jersey on the podium

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MIAMI – Chris Bosh could not finish his night – a night full of fond memories, emotional tributes and colorful stories – without his cry, made famous in the time of the Big 3.

So he unleashed a fierce cry of "come" to Miami Heat fans, and they made it, and more.

On Tuesday, Bosh became the Heat's fourth player to have his jersey on the rafters of the American Airlines Arena. Essentially, the whole arena was standing up when the shirt was up and several big ones were talking to Bosh.

"When I was down, when I went through hardships, you taught me to bounce back," Bosh said. "Thank you."

All current Miami Heat players and several former teams, such as Alonzo Mourning, Shane Battier and Juwan Howard, were on the field to attend the ceremony.

Heat's president, Pat Riley, spoke in front of the group saying, "This is not just a superstar – it's an amazing super human." I just want to welcome Chris Bosh, forever and forever, a Miami Heat lifer. "

Dwyane Wade has portrayed Bosh as "one of the greatest players to have ever lived and" the play and the person who made the legendary Big 3 era. He also recognized Bosh as "the greatest videobomber in the history of the NBA".

Bosh left last and, of course, he made lots of jokes at Wade's expense. He was also touched at several moments of the ceremony and gave part of his speech in Spanish to pay tribute to the great community of Miami, which caused an extraordinary number of applause.

Bosh always knows how to entertain and he certainly played in front of his audience on Tuesday night.

The sixth game of the 2013 NBA Finale will forever immortalize the story of Bosh in Heat.

His offensive rebound after LeBron James' last-minute missed shot and Ray Allen's three-game win in Game 6 of the NBA finals was the defining feature of Heat's second consecutive title.

Riley called it "the biggest rebound and to assist in the history of the franchise".

Chris Bosh reacts after being introduced to the withdrawal of his jersey by the team on Tuesday. Bosh averaged 19.2 points and 8.5 rebounds, was a star player 11 times and won two championships. AP Photo / Joe Skipper

Bosh will also be remembered as one of the pioneers of what became fifth. His combination of size, athleticism, speed, ability to play, and later in his career, three-point shooting made him a rare talent in NBA history.

The colorful personality, the unselfishness of one of the first super teams of the era and his domination of the 13 seasons of the NBA he played speak for himself.

"I'll see you in Springfield," Bosh said jokingly about the Hall of Fame. "It's easy – I was pretty good, so I'm going to make things easier for the committee."

Bosh's fight with blood clots abruptly ended his career in the NBA and will inevitably be part of his history. He spent several years talking with doctors, lawyers and the Heat to pursue his career in the NBA, and it did not work.

But Bosh revealed Tuesday that what kept him at work was the thousands of letters Heat had sent him from his fans – a collection of greetings that he often read on his worst days. He was moved to discuss what it meant for him.

"You inspired me to come back to court." You motivated me to cross the room on the most difficult days, when I did not have the necessary energy, Bosh said. "Take me when I'm on the ground, that's what Miami is for me."

Bosh asked "and if" the blood clots never got to him and he imagined getting a third ring if he was healthy and leaving the game on his own terms, but he saw in his family one reason he had managed to do it.

He played his last match in February 2016 at 31 years old. He did not have a goodbye tour like Wade, which he complained jokingly on Tuesday.

Yet, Bosh was standing in front of the American Airlines Arena's central court a few days after his 35th birthday, 100% at peace. There was no grief in his eyes, but a lot of appreciation for the love of the fans and the Heat players.

"People forget that when he was here, the Big 3 was the guy who sacrificed the most," said the goalkeeper. Goran Dragic said. "He was the franchise player in Toronto, who had all the attention and all the shots, not many people are willing to sacrifice him for the team, and he did it." That says a lot about his character and his legacy he ended his career great and he won two championships, but I remember his disinterestedness too. "

Once Bosh was focused on how much he had sacrificed, but he had a renewed thought on Tuesday.

"I've only sacrificed the belief that you have to feed your ego and have some numbers to quantify your success," Bosh said. "It's an important lesson in the digital age."

Bosh finished fifth among all Heat players scoring an average of 18 points per game. He played seven years in Toronto before becoming a Raptors free agent, the all-time leading scorer.

Tuesday was about Bosh's legacy in Miami and the memories that will remain forever.

Videobombing is how many fans also remember Bosh. He began to sneak behind the players interviewed on television, triggering a viral wave that lasted throughout his career and was followed by many players.

"I just wanted to think of creative ways to be silly and have fun, man," he said.

For Bosh, he says his production in tough times and big matches is the individual achievement he is most proud of in his career.

Erik Spoelstra is immediately distinguished: the Miami Heat lost the third game against the Indiana Pacers (2-1) in the final of the Eastern Conference of 2012. Spoelstra has stated that he had the impression that "things were arguing". He was decompressing with his staff when Bosh knocked at his hotel room at 2 am in Indiana, with beers in his hand.

"He was just there as a friend," said Spoelstra. He stayed 45 minutes without talking about an ounce of basketball. "

Bosh said that it was also one of his favorite memories.

"What could be more normal than two guys having a glass of beer and watching basketball?"

The Heat crowd, significantly bigger and stronger than she has been for a good part of the season, broke out every time she saw Bosh on the jumbotron throughout the match. At the end of the second quarter, Bosh stood up to recognize his love.

Despite a 104-99 loss to Orlando Magic in a crucial playoff match, many Heat fans came home with a smile because of Bosh.

LeBron James, an important figure in Bosh's career, was missing because the Los Angeles Lakers were playing a match on Tuesday night as well, but he sent a message via social media.

"I'd like to be there, dude, to see that number one get into the beams," James said.

Bosh left the door open to join the Heat organization in the future if it worked for both sides, but he felt good about closing the door of his playing career. He started making music and saw himself offering a custom guitar.

It has been announced that on March 26, 2019 will be known the Chris Bosh Day in Miami-Dade County.

Bosh said Tuesday was not closing, but it was special.

"Today, I feel good, I am happy, I am in good health," said Bosh. "I'm excited to explore life out of basketball."

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