Chris Bosh Refutes Bryan Colangelo's Statement, Says He Never Gave Up

Chris Bosh has responded to Toronto Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo's claims that the power forward "checked out" late in the season.

On Thursday night, Bosh told Rogers Sportsnet, "I play this game as hard as I can every time I step on the court." The new member of the Miami Heat said he "put his heart and soul" into the Raptors organization.

Bosh also addressed claims that he had made his decision to leave Toronto before the season ended, saying "It was the hardest decision I ever had to make."

Colangelo made the statements while talking to radio host Bob McCown of FAN 590. According to the Toronto Sun, Colangelo said Bosh didn't care to play down the stretch while the team was battling for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Colangelo hasn't been the only one bashing the six-year veteran. Bosh was heckled as he rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

Comments

[Dr Confuso]

11:02 AM on 08/03/2010

Bosh and his 2 sidekicks seem to think thay have created an unbeatable empire in Miami. You know, sort of an unsinkable franchise. Kinda like the Titanic. If they are'nt Absolutely Fabulous from the get-go, imagine the grief they'll cop, and rightfully so. Can't wait.

[Seafarer61]

04:18 PM on 08/02/2010

How many occupations are there where once you graduate from high school or a university, you have NO say as to where you will be employed...if you want to continue to work in that area. These men....James and Bosh, each were drafted by perennial losing franchises and fulfilled the terms of their contract. They owe the owners NOTHING, contractually-wise.

Perhaps Jesse was right in that many of these "owners" take the term a bit too liberally.

[jayevans20]

04:59 PM on 08/02/2010

Jesse Jackson did use the wrong words but his premise was right on.

[EndRacismNow]

01:31 PM on 08/02/2010

"It was the hardest decision I ever had to make."

BS Bosh. This has been planned by these three for years and everyone knows it. Bosh had a Freudian slip during one of his early interviews after signing with the Heat. He basically said he'd been anticipating this for months but quickly corrected it to weeks. So one would assume that his decision to sit out many more games than he had to was based on the fact that he knew he was leaving. This was not much of a secret. Everyone knew for many months that Bosh would be leaving Toronto. But somehow he had the Chutzpah to say "It was the hardest decision I ever had to make." Nonsense. Bosh quit and was to blame for the Raptors not making the playoffs. Why risk your body for a mediocre team that will be eliminated in the first round anyway? He made the logical decision but he should just be honest about it. Does he think people are so naive?

[docali]

11:59 AM on 08/02/2010

Comment below was in response to:
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jcwtts1 18 hours ago (6:08 PM)
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The difference is that it isn't the airlines it is the pilots. The Airlines can't collude but the pilots can get together and hash out what they are doing. They are members of a union, they are not controlled under the tampering rules. Pat Riley was smart and Wade was charismatic enough to pull it off. There is no current rule that says players can't talk about where they want to go. The hard salary cap that creates parity in the league also removes from the league the ability to effect where players go through money. Wade and LeBron make 16-18 million a year playing basketball and 20 30 a year in ads. Their b-ball money is irrelevant. In fact, if they win this year their ad money will double. If they win two it will triple. They could be making 60 million a year in ads alone. There is a cap and that cap means I am slotted in as a max player or not. They are all max players so the money is the reason to move or switch teams, championships, endorsements, lifestyle and taxes, things like that will increasingly control where a player goes. Is it ethical? I don't think so. I thought Stern should have stepped in before this whole thing went sideways. It is the new paradigm now.

J

[docali]

11:57 AM on 08/02/2010

yeah that would make sense if a majority of the players got together and made a statement, but in this case it was ONLY three players working TOGETHER with mangement, not the players union working together or a board of the owners..... and thats exactly why it was wrong but yeah at least you can admit it was unethical.... look i am not here to bash Bosh or Lebron or Wade its just this new "paradigm" kinda makes me a little nervous and question about the competition aspect of the sport, which is WHY we watch the game, as Herme said "you play to win the game," but can that really be true if two players who know they are going to playing on the same team next year honestly say they gave their best effort to their teams the year before knowing that? that is the important question.........

[jukesgrrl]

03:32 PM on 08/02/2010

Good point. Also, I'd suggest players who care about their endorsement money more than their salaries remember that fans like players who PLAY HARD and care about the game. They don't like egomaniacs who are more concerned with their personal situations than winning. Examples: Why is Cal Ripkin beloved and still making money off his reputation today? What is Pete Rose still remembered for in spite of all the negative things he did? People like commitment and hustle.

[Moarku]

12:32 AM on 08/04/2010

Yeah, because why would any player actually want to be able to say he won a ring with TWO different teams?

[SuperMoncho]

01:27 AM on 08/02/2010

Cant wait for next season, i really want to see the Heat monster destroy Cleveland & Toronto.

[jayevans20]

05:00 PM on 08/02/2010

Me too!

[hernan1333]

12:41 AM on 08/02/2010

these owners are a bunch of lying cry babies...if they really felt this way, why were they willing to offer both Bosch and Lebron lucrative contracts to stay with their teams...just gives me reason to believe they both made the right decision...

[Irizzee]

09:31 AM on 08/02/2010

Like any job, you learn a lot about someones character by the way the tie up loose ends...It's called being an adult. You call your boss, tell them you're going in another direction, like competent adults do, you don't do what these 2 clowns did...

[UNR]

01:40 PM on 08/02/2010

And yet the owners can cut or trade the players at almost any time with no warning whatsoever. Learn the business before making an comment like that.

[jd43]

04:08 PM on 08/01/2010

Bosh quit on Georgia Tech, too.

[jcwtts1]

06:00 PM on 08/01/2010

give me a break

[Paul The Octopus]

01:54 AM on 08/02/2010

Yeah, it also quit on America! [end sarcasm]

[mortgagechief]

02:50 PM on 08/01/2010

Does the NBA give talking points to the owners? Lebron, and now Bosh are accused by their owners of "giving up" after they chose to sell their services to Miami. Why do these owners want people who give up to be part of their organizations, or this is just sour grapes? Never mind the fact that team owners can "give up" on any player any day.

[saskatoonie]

03:50 PM on 08/01/2010

I agree, if the owner gave up on the player they'd be outa there fast. Come on, sports is a business too. Players have the right to make decisions just like any other contracted employee.

[BGDiNLV]

09:25 PM on 08/01/2010

Because the sports world is huge right now. And alot of these players don't have to rely on the teams to just "GET PAID". The asian market for NBA players is HUGE!!! Look and see who's number one in jersey sales in the NBA. Now that money is mainly from overseas markets. Lebron,Dwayne,and Chris know this,these cats are businessman too. The hispanic market in Miami is outrageous. These players have learned to play the game,to their advantage. Short playing careers means faster,quicker money,now! The power has shifted a little and the OWNERS( hate that word) do not like it.

[Moarku]

12:34 AM on 08/04/2010

It's basically the owners' way of saying, "Oh yeah? Well I faked all my orgasms!"

[motoGpifupleez]

01:51 PM on 08/01/2010

How amusing that he owners are suddenly trashing the guys they bent over backwards to try and retain. Sour grapes is all that talk is.

I applaud the moves of Wade, Bosh, and James. This kind of power in the hands of the "product" is something completely new and it has the owners scared. They are now in the driving seat and dictating the terms of their employment.

When was the last time an owner showed some loyalty for what a player did for their franchise instead of casting them aside at the quickest possible opportunity.

Loyalty has always been a one way street in the professional arena.

[BGDiNLV]

09:27 PM on 08/01/2010

Short and to the point. Love it!! And also very,very,very true!!

[maxben]

11:06 AM on 08/01/2010

Goodbye Bosh, like Carter we will always hate you and jeer every time you come back to Toronto.
Maybe it's not your fault, but we think you gave up and Colangelo is merely stating what we all feel.

[jd43]

03:49 PM on 08/01/2010

Colangelo was right. Anybody watching the NBA knows it. Bosh, expect jeering in Orlando, too.

[BGDiNLV]

09:28 PM on 08/01/2010

Who the hell wants to live in Canada! Ohh that's right CHRIS BOSH!!!! Suck it up and move on.

[Avsolute]

10:52 PM on 08/01/2010

Who the hell wants to live in Canada?

Simple answer...

Everyone who lives here or has ever visited here. Bring a sweater y'all

[docali]

11:01 AM on 08/01/2010

Could someone explain to me HOW Wade's, Bosh's and Lebron's move was ethical? I mean we (as in the United States) have anti-trust laws, laws against monopolies and insider trading (in regards to making decisions from information which is not available to the public and hence illegal because it stifles growth). And from looking at some of the Heat's economic moves since the Olympics they were simply not rationale (such as taking getting rid of large contracts, essentially not making any moves in the off-season) especially if the team was concerned about their franchise and retaining their superstar in Wade. But what does seems to make sense is that if Wade came to Pat Riley was like hey i got a team for 2010-2011, just make sure we have the money to do this. Lastly we as a nation to not tolerate corporations or companies "gaming" the system by fixing prices (ex, Airlines setting extra luggage fees) soo why should we tolerate Wade, Bosh and Lebron gaming the system.....? Could someone explain to me who what they did is any different then what the airlines did?

[jcwtts1]

06:08 PM on 08/01/2010

The difference is that it isn't the airlines it is the pilots. The Airlines can't collude but the pilots can get together and hash out what they are doing. They are members of a union, they are not controlled under the tampering rules. Pat Riley was smart and Wade was charismatic enough to pull it off. There is no current rule that says players can't talk about where they want to go. The hard salary cap that creates parity in the league also removes from the league the ability to effect where players go through money. Wade and LeBron make 16-18 million a year playing basketball and 20 30 a year in ads. Their b-ball money is irrelevant. In fact, if they win this year their ad money will double. If they win two it will triple. They could be making 60 million a year in ads alone. There is a cap and that cap means I am slotted in as a max player or not. They are all max players so the money is the reason to move or switch teams, championships, endorsements, lifestyle and taxes, things like that will increasingly control where a player goes. Is it ethical? I don't think so. I thought Stern should have stepped in before this whole thing went sideways. It is the new paradigm now.

J

[docali]

11:55 AM on 08/02/2010

yeah that would make sense if a majority of the players got together and made a statement, but in this case it was ONLY three players working TOGETHER with mangement, not the players union working together or a board of the owners..... and thats exactly why it was wrong but yeah at least you can admit it was unethical.... look i am not here to bash Bosh or Lebron or Wade its just this new "paradigm" kinda makes me a little nervous and question about the competition aspect of the sport, which is WHY we watch the game, as Herme said "you play to win the game," but can that really be true if two players who know they are going to playing on the same team next year honestly say they gave their best effort to their teams the year before knowing that? that is the important question.........

[docali]

11:56 AM on 08/02/2010

Board of Directors of the NBA*****

[cowboyx]

01:37 PM on 08/03/2010

How is this an anti-trust issue? They are not stopping other players from playing basketball. No are they stopping other teams from signing them.

The Miami Heat are also not a monopoly. Not by a longshot. Heck, they've won ONE championship as a franchise. There are other teams out there that play to win.

Insider trading? Everyone knew these players were free agents. Hell, the Knicks banked their past few seasons on this knowledge, freeing up cap space.

I'm not a Heat fan (go Celts!), but these men are just like contractors. They go where they decide to. That's freedom.

[docali]

08:12 PM on 08/03/2010

so your saying if Wade, Bosh and Lebron knew where they were going two years ago that would not affect the competition aspect of the game whatsoever...?

[mivogo]

06:47 AM on 08/01/2010

Bosh, James and Wade may not realize it yet, but they have set up a "no win" situation for themselves. If they win the championship, it will be seen as expected--the Heat now has a virtual all-star team. If they don't, they will be labeled the biggest losers and chokers in history.

[dct1999]

08:09 AM on 08/01/2010

So what? Don't tell sports "journalists" but professional athletes don't spend a lot of time worrying about what those haters think.

[BGDiNLV]

09:32 PM on 08/01/2010

Who gives a damn? I am a big Lakers fan! Just put your best effort on the court,that is all I have to expect from ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, nothing else. Man who gives a crap about championships? Just put forth the effort and let everything alse shake out.

[mivogo]

10:27 AM on 08/02/2010

Who gives a crap about championships? They do! I totally agree with you, and wouldn't have posted this if they didn't say over and over, that winning a championship is the only thing that matters to them. But when the deck is stacked in such a manner, people will react in the way I said. I'm not saying it's right, but that's the way it is.

[trojwl]

11:57 PM on 07/31/2010

Why of course Bosh and James didn't give it their all - especially after they decided among themselves that they would probably be in the next year's finals. It's human nature. And these guys are treated like gods - meaning they can do whatever they feel like - regardless of the stains left on the game's integrity.
Makes you really miss the days of Alcindor, West, Magic, Bird, etc.
This is yet another reason why, after many years of being a devout sports fan, I rarely care who is playing and who wins. I probably couldn't name fifteen professional baseball players today. Back in the 70's and 80's, I knew everyone.
Even college sports has lost its appeal.
Truly a sad commentary on sports today.
Anyone else miss the good ole days?

[ChiKevin]

11:11 PM on 07/31/2010

I really dislike the heat now. However, thats purely out of jealousy.

These guys, who are only a bit older than me will be in one of the best cities for young adults in the country. Everyone will praise them after they start winning rings.