By Chris Bosh Explains His Desire To “Chill,” Saying He Simply Used a “Happy Word”
November 19, 2010 – 8:15 am by Eric Schmoldt
It’s not particularly shocking that Chris Bosh is averaging fewer points per game than the other members of Miami’s Big Three. But he’s averaging the same number of rebounds and fewer blocked shots than Dwyane Wade.
(Pause to let that sink in)
After a rather lackluster first 10 games with his new team, Bosh finally had a breakout game this week, scoring 35 points in just 30 minutes in a dominant victory over the Phoenix Suns. But if nothing else, that only served to make everyone question where in the world that has been so far this season.
And to top it off, Bosh indicated after the game that there is a tug and pull going on over hard practices and “chilling.” He tried to clear that up in the following interview.
Chris Bosh joined 790 the Ticket in Miami with the Dan LeBatard Show to discuss the relief of putting up a breakout performance, why it came when it did, if he’s been hurt by the criticism, whether he enjoyed the first 10 games, the sacrifices he made to go to Miami, why he’s not pulling down more rebounds and the players wanting to chill.
On whether the breakout game was a relief:
“Every game, especially in this situation, it’s always going to be a little difficult because you have to feel yourself out, especially for us being on a brand new team and being under the microscope like we are. Every game is kind of different for us. Just getting used to that and trying to feel out what my role is and how I’m going to affect every game, it’s a challenge.”
On whether that game was a byproduct of getting more comfortable or a favorable match-up against the Suns:
“I’m a basketball player and any basketball player will tell you they don’t feel like anyone can guard them if they have the right confidence. I think it was just me being aggressive, me just trying to figure out what I want to do. They brought me here for a reason and that’s to do what I did for the past seven years. I shouldn’t have to change anything, I should just keep playing like I’ve been playing.”
On the criticism he’s received:
“It’s 10 games, I don’t care. Ten games doesn’t mold your career and it definitely doesn’t mold a season. Eighty-two games does, and even then you have a fresh new start and a brand new season in the postseason. I know what I can do. I don’t really let criticism and let other things affect me, I just do what I’m supposed to do.”
On whether the first 10 games were fun:
“Yeah, the first 10 games were fun. Every time I step on the court, it’s fun. Was it frustrating? Yeah, there’s going to be frustrating times, and I understood that going into this season. But the part that wasn’t fun was when people, they kind of write you off after 10 games. I understand that some writers are going to be more critical than others, but it’s just like, just put yourself in other peoples’ shoes. I don’t think other people do that enough. Everybody’ll be quick to write something derogatory or very critical.”
On making sacrifices to try and win titles:
“I knew that, on a consistent basis, I wasn’t going to be called on to take the last shot in a game. And you know what? That’s fine. If you want to really win, there’s going to be some things you have to sacrifice. It’s easy to say, ‘I’m going to sacrifice this,’ but when it really happens, it’s a lot more difficult than you anticipated. But I keep the big picture in my mind in the long run. I want to win, we all want to win, we all want to win championships. It takes somebody to fulfill a role to get that stuff done.”
On why he’s not getting more rebounds:
“It’s a different system. I have to move a lot more than I did before, so it’s just getting used to it, getting adjusted to it. Once I get adjusted to it, I’m blessed with the ability to rebound. That’s one of the things I can do. Once I figure out the system and figure out the spot … that’s just watching more film and seeing where I can rebound the ball more.”
On his comment about Coach Erik Spoelstra, “He wants to work; we want to chill.”
“OK, I really don’t understand. I can understand why people want to hear that, but in all honesty, we work extremely hard. We work extremely hard. We love our job. We love what we do. … When you go to work and you work hard, you feel that sometimes you need to rest a little bit so you can perform when it’s time to perform. Spo, he’s a natural head coach. Just like any other head coach, he’s gonna feel like, ‘We have to work at this,’ because he has to be a perfectionist, right? … We’re like, ‘No, we’ll figure it out.’ It’s just a common ground that we have to come to because we want to rest up for the next battle and he wants to prepare us for the next battle. We know we have to practice, and every time we go into practice, we’re going at 100 percent. I said ‘Chill,’ OK, that’s fine. Let me clarify. When I said ‘Chill,’ I didn’t mean like I just chill at home every single day and don’t go to the gym at all. In this league, you can’t do that and be successful, I think we all know that. … I was tired, I was happy we won, I used a happy word.”
Listen to Chris Bosh on 790 the Ticket in Miami here
Tags: Chris Bosh, Erik Spelstra, LeBron James signs with Miami Heat, media criticism, Miami Heat, Miami’s Big Three, NBA
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