Chris Bosh.
That's it. That's the whole list.
He's done it in each of the last two years, averaging 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds last season, and 22.7 and 10.0 the season before. He's an incredible talent with a skill set unlike anyone else we've got in the NBA today, and at age 26, he's already got five All-Star selections and around $56 million to show for it.
And yet this summer is really the first time that Chris Bosh has ever been a legitimate celebrity.
Spending the first seven years of his career north of the border, he's gone unnoticed among fans of mainstream American pro basketball. His Toronto Raptors have made the playoffs just twice in seven seasons and have yet to escape from the first round; Bosh has been mired in both obscurity and mediocrity.
He deserves better. He deserves not just big numbers and big paychecks, but big-time recognition as well. Now he's got a chance to get it.
This summer is Bosh's coming out party. New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston — if he wants a big market, it's his.
Bosh has earned this, and he's going to enjoy it.
He met with the Rockets immediately when the clock struck midnight on Thursday. Bosh is the dream acquisition of Houston GM Daryl Morey — a dominating scoring and rebounding big man who could return the franchise to championship contention. The Rockets are looking to woo Bosh back to Texas, his home state, and convince the Raptors to swing a sign-and-trade to fit Bosh under the salary cap.
The Bulls met with Bosh on Friday, and no doubt, they're looking to sell him on the idea of a dynasty carried by LeBron James, Derrick Rose and himself. That would be tempting to anyone, but especially to a guy who's played his heart out for seven years and never seen the second round of the playoffs. Suddenly, he's on a perennial title contender.
Bosh has talked to the Nets, too. Perhaps he's the guy that can turn that team around.
But the most intriguing possibility of all continues to be Miami, as Pat Riley has the chance to flummox the entire NBA with a triple whammy of Bosh, LeBron and Dwyane Wade. If you want to be both a celebrity and a champion, it's hard to do much better than hitting South Beach with two of the biggest stars on Earth by your side.
No doubt about it — Bosh has a lot of options in front of him. And he really can't go wrong — no matter where he goes, he's getting a max contract in a big market from a team that's committed to winning.
Where will he eventually decide to go? It's too early to tell — the picture is still too muddled. Miami is the best guess, but it all depends on how the rest of the pieces of the free-agent puzzle fall into place. There are a lot of moving parts in the machine, and Bosh is only one of them.
Perhaps the best guess is that when all the dust settles, Bosh lands wherever LeBron does.
Chris Bosh is one of the game's greatest talents, and he's proven it for a long time. He deserves to showcase his talents, and he's about to get that chance.
