Miami Herald: After 2020 snub, why Hall of Fame won’t deny Bosh this time
Springfield, Mass. – Georgia Tech Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold medalist Chris Bosh has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, one of 16 new members announced Sunday at a private event held in the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2021 will be enshrined in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday, September 11. Bosh is the first Yellow Jacket player ever elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
This year’s class includes nine honorees from the North American and Women’s committees: ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith and seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.
Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected seven directly elected enshrinees: Val Ackerman, Cotton Fitzsimmons and Howard Garfinkel from the Contributor Committee, Clarence “Fats” Jenkins from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Toni Kukoc from the International Committee, Bob Dandridge from the Veterans Committee and Pearl Moore from the Women’s Veterans Committee.
A member of the Gold-medal-winning USA Basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Chris Bosh became part of Georgia Tech basketball’s return to national prominence in the mid-2000s. In his one season on The Flats, Bosh earned second-team All-ACC honors and was the scoring and rebounding leader for a Yellow Jacket team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT. Though he entered the NBA Draft following his freshman year, he helped set the stage, along with future Tech Hall of Famers Jarrett Jack and B.J. Elder, for the Jackets’ run to the NCAA championship game in 2004. While at Tech, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-America by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He was made the fourth overall pick in 2003 by Toronto in the NBA Draft and went on to earn two NBA titles with the Miami Heat. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and also was a member of the USA bronze medal team at the 2006 World Championships.
"His career was Hall-bound from his seven seasons in Toronto even before the upward trajectory of the move to Miami. The Basketball Hall of Fame considers accomplishments beyond the NBA, so Bosh’s resume’ also is feathered by his ACC Rookie of the Year honor his only season at Georgia Tech, along with his Olympic gold medal with the 2008 U.S. “Redeem Team.” His having been an exemplary role model, an engaging personality, a selfless teammate and a funny dude who would playfully video bomb teammates during postgame interviews — those things don’t matter in whether he makes the Hall of Fame. They just make you that much happier when he finally does."
Greg Cote in the Miami Herald
Congratulations Chris Bosh, 2-time @NBA champion, 11-time NBA All-Star and #21HoopClass honoree. pic.twitter.com/LCh5J3D6GC
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) May 16, 2021
Words cannot express my gratitude to everyone who has been on this journey with me. Basketball has been one of the greatest gifts allotted to me in this life. This honor is my legacy. Thank you @Hoophall, @nba + to every one of you that has supported me throughout my career. ☝🏿 pic.twitter.com/iH2UW87drv
— Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) May 16, 2021
”The @chrisbosh story, directed by Spike Lee.
Hollywood, how bout it?!?!” #21HoopClass https://t.co/Ii3Of4z6fB
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) May 16, 2021
The Class of 2021 Enshrinement festivities will begin at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 10 with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2021 and returning Hall of Famers will then journey to Springfield, Mass. for the annual celebratory events taking place at the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center on September 11. Premium Sponsors of Enshrinement 2021 include Nike, Baron Championship Rings, Mohegan Sun and Panini.
Tickets for the 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony and all Enshrinement events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com or by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231-5513. As the health and safety of Hall of Famers, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and will provide appropriate health and safety measures for all events.
Chris Bosh was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. (photo by Danny Karnik)
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