Who was more important for Miami Heat in their 4 straight final appearances and two championships in the early 2010s? Was it LeBron James or his 11x All-Star teammate Chris Bosh? This is a hot debate on the internet right now after Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller mentioned it a few days back. Haslem did not hesitate to accept that Bosh was more important than the ‘King’ and it is the talk on the internet now. Well, another Heat veteran has agreed to it. 

Norris Cole, who played 4 seasons for the Heat, won 2 championships as a bench player. He played alongside Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Bosh. He shared, “Everything started with Bron, but what UD [Haslem] said was correct. We ain’t had nobody else like CB [Bosh]. Nobody is Bron, but D-Wade can put on a clinic and put 35, 40 up, get 8 assists for a couple of series. CB was out for too long. We had nobody else like him to create those mismatches. It’s facts. Bron was our best player, but without CB, we don’t win those championships.” However, Cole did not stop at that statement. 

To elaborate on Bosh’s importance, Cole added, “When we lost CB, we sustained as long as we could, but when he came back, we became unbeatable. He was out for a stretch of games. We struggled. We made it happen, but we struggled.” Bosh’s injury was a huge scare for Miami Heat that season. If things had gone wrong, the 2012 championship might have gone to a different team. 

Chris Bosh’s unexpected 3-week return from a dangerous abdomen injury

Right after Miami Heat entered the playoffs, Chris Bosh got injured in the Eastern Conference SFs. In his game against the Indian Pacers, Bosh hit an and-1 but felt discomfort in his abdomen. After the game, reports revealed that he was diagnosed with an abdominal strain, which sent a chill down the spine for the Miami fans. They had just lost the 2011 Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. This was their best shot at the Championship and Bosh was expected to be sidelined for about a month. However, CB was a different breed. 

Was Chris Bosh More Important Than LeBron James and Dwyane Wade? Analyzing Heat Legend’s Bold Statement

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Abdomen injuries are quite painful, as it is the core of the body. Every movement is affected, but Bosh was back in the game in just three weeks, right before the Finals. In the 14 games he played in the playoffs, he averaged 14 points and 7.8 rebounds in just 31 minutes. While LeBron James and Dwayne Wade took care of scoring, Bosh took control of defense and rebounding. It’s safe to say that they couldn’t have asked for a better teammate. As Cole said, the Heat were not winning back-to-back rings without Chris Bosh.

What are your thoughts on this? Was Chris Bosh more crucial than LeBron James? Share it in the comments below.

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