SPORTS
From Issue #19
In The Name Of The Game
Chris Bosh: Basketball Legend In The Making
By Jono Boysen
(with files from Surya Bhattacharya)
Most basketball fans
out there have either seen or heard
of the 
rookie sophomore sensation
who’s been in the spotlight this year as
the Raptors starting power forward.
Some say he is a legend in the making;
others are not sure what to make of this
guy who is currently averaging 16 points
per game and almost nine rebounds to
boot. His name is Chris Bosh. And here’s
a look at what he’s made of.
In 2002, Chris played one year of college
ball with the highly respected Georgia
Institute of Technology, better known as
Georgia Tech. He originally came from
Lincoln high school in Dallas, Texas.
After he showed outstanding athletic
ability in his only year of college ball, the
Raptors picked him, and he was fourth
overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft.
Chris’ early career highlights include
being named McDonald’s High School
All-American in 2002. All-Americans
receive full scholarships, and most
eventually play in the NBA, even if it’s
only for a season or two.
Born on March 23, 1984, this 21-year-old
has already built a large enough name
for himself. He weighs in at 210 pounds and measures 6’10”, which isn’t even
that tall compared to some of his
opponents. But as a power forward, he’s
a force to be reckoned with. Within the
pa
st couple of seasons, Chris has been selected to play in the NBA rookie
all-star game in 2004 and 2005. He also
was selected to the NBA All-Rookie
First Team in 2003. He was also in the
running to play on the all-star team this
year, but unfortunately he didn’t make the final cut. Although he didn’t make it,
his hopes are still high, and at 21, he
hasn’t even gotten started yet.
However, what most people are unaware
of once he leaves the court is Chris’
personal mission: to promote reading.
“Reading is important for teens because
it is the key to unlocking your
imagination. Through a book, you are
able to experience new cultures and
different things. Reading is so essential
because it expands your literary base and
allows you to increase your knowledge in
different areas,” says Chris, founder of the
Chris Bosh Foundation. His foundation,
along with the Toronto District School
Board, hosts the Celebration of Reading —
a Chris Bosh New Year’s resolution that
sees the man himself making personal
appearances and talking to school kids
about the importance of picking up a
book. “One of my New Year’s resolutions
is to get more kids hooked on reading.
Reading is one of the most important life
skills a person can possess,” says Chris.
Now, he wants to make sure you
understand it’s cool too.
“Being a sports celebrity makes me a role
model — a responsibility that I take very
seriously. And I understand reading is
important to a child’s mental, creative and
scholastic development. My job is to relate
to the children and let them know that it’s
both fun and cool to read books.”
Chris Bosh listens
intently to Sam Mitchell,
Raptors coach.
