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July 1st is a day that NBA fans have had circled on their calendar for a long time. Not only is it the start of free agency in the league, but it is the most anticipated free agency class in NBA history. This class is led by LeBron James, but other mega-stars will be available as well. One of the biggest names on that list is Chris Bosh. You can say what you want to about Bosh, but I think he is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He probably doesn’t get the kind of recognition as some of the other guys, but that’s only because he has gotten lost in Toronto, a city that is known more for hockey and maple syrup than their basketball prowess. However, since he came into the NBA, he has been an All-Star, he has been an Olympic champion, and he averages a near double-double for his career. Not to mention, he has been the cornerstone for the Raptors franchise for the last seven years. There are guys like Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer available, but if I was a team that was looking for a guy to play in the post, my number one target would be Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh joined ESPN 710 in Los Angeles with Mason and Ireland to talk about game seven of the NBA Finals, how he is dealing with his upcoming free agency, what is the most important factor in his decision, and whether or not Toronto has any advantage.
On his thoughts on game seven of the NBA Finals:
“I really don’t see LA losing on their own home court for a Championship. I think everybody is a lot more comfortable at home. (Ron) Artest was hitting a lot more shots and (Sasha) Vujacic even hit a couple of big threes. The weight isn’t on Kobe’s shoulders as much. I think I see LA winning.”
On how he is dealing with his upcoming free agency:
“I’ve just been relaxing and not even thinking about it. I just try to hang out and be normal. I know it’s pretty much a part of my life because everybody asks me that every day of my life. I don’t care where I am, somebody is going to ask me about that. It’s just a part of it. I try to have fun with it and know that I’m in a good position and just be thankful for that.”
On what is most important to him in his decision:
“I’ve had some friends ask me. The best way that I can explain it is everything kinda works together. You might have to sacrifice one for the other. I just want to win basketball and I want to be happy. (Host: Could you be happy if you weren’t on a winning team?) Winning is very important to me. Just being in the situation, you can’t get it all. Sometimes you can. Maybe you can, but you never know. I’m just prepared to just take whatever makes me happy and the best place I can win. That’s all you can ask for at the end of the day.”
On whether or not he thinks that the free agents will talk to each other:
“To be honest, everybody is laying low. Nobody is expressing or talking in depth. It seems like it’s a poker game and nobody is folding and you can’t see their cards. It’s interesting. I mean it is funny that we’re all in the same boat, we were all on the national team, and we all won the gold medal together. I think that’s a funny aspect. So far there hasn’t been a whole lot of talk about it. I’ve seen some guys but they don’t say much. I kinda respect it because I get that question all the time and I don’t like thinking about every day. The last thing I want to do is bug him. There will be a time and place for it.”
On whether or not he would be willing for a sign and trade:
“I’m still processing everything out. I’m pretty much testing free agency like LeBron says and everybody says. Just testing free agency. You look at every situation closely and see what situation best fits you. Toronto will have certain advantages over other teams and other teams will have certain advantages over Toronto. It’s just what works better for me.”
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