Former Miami Heat superstar and four time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal had plenty of love for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in his NBA TV debut as a basketball analyst, but none for Chris Bosh.
"The Miami Heat, they've got a lot of great players, the `Big 2.' They will be back," O'Neal said on NBA TV while talking about the 2011 NBA Eastern Conference champions. "LeBron James is taking a lot of criticism, but I know LeBron very well. He hears everything that everyone is saying, so I think he's going to come back and have an MVP year this year. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, you know, they're great players, they're probably the greatest backcourt ever assembled, and you know, they're going to get back. They're going to get back. They play well, they went through a lot, they put a lot of pressure on themselves. That's how they like it. And they will be back."
Ever since LeBron's decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers in pursuit of greener pastures in Miami, Bosh automatically became the odd man out.
Bosh was consistently criticized during the 2010/11 NBA season, yet the Heat forward kept producing for Miami on the court. Bosh finished the season averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the Heat. When the playoffs came around, Bosh stepped up his game, helping the Heat dismantle the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls on their way to the NBA finals.
While Bosh isn't one of the top five players in the NBA like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are, to discredit his many contributions to the Heat's solid season is completely insane. Bosh is a already one of the best forwards in the NBA, and if the 27 year old player ever figures out a way to add an extra 30-40 pounds of muscle to his frame, he's good enough to be one of the top five players in the league.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 15 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.
Sources:
Associated Press, "Shaquille O'Neal: 'Big 2' lead Miami"
Player and game information from espn.com
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