Thoughts on Books: Poor Chris Bosh

In 2014, I had to be put to sleep for a procedure and in my room before they took me back, I watched SportsCenter with my now husband, Kyle. We debated along with reporters about whether or not Lebron would come back to Cleveland, something we never thought we would see. 

Fast forward to me being rolled BACK into the same room and in my drug induced blabber I started crying and mumbling on about Chris Bosh. Poor Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh was rarely the headline, he wasn’t the loudest one, he was third fiddle and sometimes mocked by the media…remember Bosh Spice? He came to be with Lebron, the Big Three, and now his friend would leave him. Are they even friends? Is everything purely business? 

I recovered from my medically induced psychobabble quickly, but my crying had an impact and Kyle told the story over and over, flabbergasted that all I could think about was Chris Bosh as I woke up, when we were about to have a homecoming for King James. 

Fast forward a few months later, Lebron is in Cleveland, the Heat makes a trade for Dragic and BAM. Chris Bosh makes headlines with a blood clot, taking him out of play. I’m back at square one, POOR CHRIS BOSH, can this guy catch a break? I know, how can I feel bad for an extremely successful, very rich man with a beautiful family? I don’t have a great answer, but keep in mind everything is relative (in this case, relative to Dwyane Wade and Lebron). 

So, walking around Target, I stumbled upon Chris’s book, “Letters to A Young Athlete”. Bosh’s letters are meant to help athletes early in their career, but he makes it clear from the beginning that these lessons apply to any “game”. While this isn’t going to hold up against Maxwell’s “Laws of Leadership”… this is a pretty good read for anyone who wants perspective on what it means to evolve as a person, a team member, a leader, a friend. 

“If you want to be great, you have to be honest with yourself and all the ways you’re not great yet.” 

I sat down and read this book from cover to cover, and while it’s not the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read, it may be one of the most impactful. In a game, you don’t have time to rethink your words, proofread, or filter- and Chris delivers his messages like a highly communicative leader in a game.

Please read this book, I still feel sad about how Chris’s career ended but it’s clear his “why” in life is bigger than a final victory lap season. A quote likely used my many coaches, and not unique to Chris Bosh, but a clear summary of the way he has approached his sport, his life, and his growth beyond basketball:

“If you play for the name on the front, they’ll remember the name on the back.”