The legal proceedings surrounding the catastrophic Palisades Fire have taken an unexpected turn by referencing a property owned by the retired NBA star and Hall of Famer Chris Bosh in connection with its cause. An $11 million Pacific Palisades mansion owned by Bosh has become a focal point in defense filings in the arson trial, with the defense seeking to introduce testimony describing physical marks consistent with a firework launched from the driveway and rear patio area of the property.
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As soon as the reports surfaced, Bosh issued a public statement clarifying his family’s whereabouts and addressing the unexpected connection.
Across all his official social media pages, Chris Bosh and his wife, Adrienne, made the following statement.
Bosh is not charged with any crime and is cooperating with authorities. Bosh’s upfront move came as arson suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht is being retried on federal charges alleging he caused the January 1, 2025 blaze that became one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history. The defense attorney for the 30-year-old is seeking to introduce testimony from a retired fire investigator, Michael T. Cole, who is expected to say that marks are consistent with fireworks having been launched from a residence near where the Lachman Fire began in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
That residence is the $11 million mansion of Chris Bosh. After reports initially identified the Miami Heat champion as the owner, Bosh’s statement confirms it. But he has distanced himself and his family from the scene.
Bosh, known for his championship run with the Miami Big 3 alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, hasn’t played in the NBA since 2016. His playing career ended with blood clot issues.
The suspect’s lawyer said, “Mr. Cole is expected to testify that during his 2025 investigation of the Palisades Fire, he observed and documented a mark and an associated burn and smoke trail on the driveway and rear patio area of the residence at (redacted), and that, based on his training and experience, those marks are physical evidence of a launched firework.”
Meanwhile, prosecutors have refuted the claim too. A separate filing reveals that prosecutors are seeking to remove Cole as a witness. They cite his lack of experience in identifying firework marks and note that he examined only the dark marks in six photos taken by a drone a month after the fire started.
Rinderknecht remains the primary suspect so far. Investigators allegedly found a lighter in his vehicle during a search on January 24, 2025, and he was arrested for allegedly starting the blaze on October 7, 2025. He has remained in federal custody since the arrest.
He’s maintained his innocence through his defense counsel. To counter the government’s narrative, defense attorney Steve Haney has introduced alternative arguments, pointing to witness accounts of fireworks in the vicinity on New Year’s Day as the true catalyst for the disaster.
According to the defense, Cole’s expected testimony is intended to support claims that fireworks were launched from the vicinity of Bosh’s Pacific Palisades property near where the Lachman Fire ignited. However, the move triggered fierce pushback from federal prosecutors who state that Cole has not based his claims on in-person inspection and appropriate testing. They also argued that they were not properly informed about Cole’s testimony involving Bosh in time.
The courtroom drama has also featured practical demonstrations, including a video experiment presented by Haney showing a green barbecue lighter failing to ignite dead brush from the Pacific Palisades under comparable conditions. The defense used that to argue that his client couldn’t have lit the vegetation on fire with his lighter.
The prosecution is determined to secure a conviction against Rinderknecht after his first trial was declared a mistrial in June.
As the federal retrial continues, Bosh is fully cooperating with investigators by turning over all surveillance footage from his property. He is not being charged with anything at this time, nor is there any indication that he’ll have to show up in court.