Former Raptor Chris Bosh Announced as Hall of Fame Finalist for 2021

The Basketball Hall of Fame might pretty soon be welcoming in another former member of the Toronto Raptors.

The Hall of Fame announced that Chris Bosh will be among the nine players and five coaches under finalist consideration to be admitted into the Hall of Fame this season. He joins Michael Cooper, Tim Hardaway, Marques Johnson, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, and Chris Webber as the other player finalists for this season.

The 36-year-old Bosh played seven seasons in Toronto, joining the league alongside LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony in a loaded 2003 NBA Draft class. After Vince Carter's departure from Toronto in 2004, Bosh became the lead man for the Raptors, making five straight All-Star game appearances with Toronto while averaging over 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game during his Raptors tenure.

In 2010, Bosh decided it was time to part ways with Toronto and opted to sign with the Miami Heat to play alongside James and Wade. There he helped lead the Heat to four straight NBA Finals and a pair of championships.

He spent six seasons with Miami averaging 18 points and just over seven rebounds per game. Unfortunately, just as the NBA was beginning to fully transform into a 3-point shooting league that could have prolonged Bosh's career as a stretch centre, a blood clotting issue forced his early retirement at just 31 years old.

In February 2019, Bosh announced he was no longer pursuing an NBA comeback and the following month his jersey was retired by the Heat.

Bosh was eligible to be admitted to the Hall of Fame last season, but did not make the finalists list. The late Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett were admitted into the Hall last year.

If inducted, Bosh would become the third former Raptors player to be admitted into the Hall of Fame, joining Tracy McGrady and Hakeem Olajuwon.

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