With his extended summer vacation in full effect, Chris Bosh recently participated in the first Call of Duty XP fan fest at Raleigh Studios in Playa Del Rey, Calif., alongside fellow NBA All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love.
The two day event included real-life paintball combat, zip lining and jeep courses and a closing Kanye West concert. There was also a $1 million tournament where "regular Joes" played against celebrity and pro-athlete contestants.
CB4 took some time out of to talk about the event, the NBA Lockout and whether or not he'd play in Europe.
How did you get linked up with the Call of Duty XP fan fest? Are you a big gamer?
Last summer I got to go down to the studio where they make the games. They showed me the beginning copy of the Black Ops game. That was really cool
Not a big gamer. I'm a pretty regular guy. I don't game too much. I know people get really serious, but I used to play a lot more than I did now.
What's your feeling right now regarding the NBA Lockout?
I just feel that we don't want to miss out on a great opportunity to keep the momentum that the NBA has going. We're all partners in this and we all have to make things work. I think getting to a deal and resolving it is the best solution.
Was there one thing that really surprised you during your first season in Miami?
It wasn't what I expected. It was a lot more intense. It came to the territory, it's fine. We survived it; we're still here, we're still alive. We're better people and I think we're going to become better players because of that. Looking at the whole situation, it was very interesting and it was an experience, but I think we have the ability to learn from everything.
What was the one thing Dirk Nowitzki did so well that surprised you during the Finals?
He has no weakness. He can shoot the ball; he can put the ball on the floor. Plus, he also challenges his teammates to be better.
Looking down the road five years, what would you consider to be a success for with this team?
I don't put a number on it. I want to win all of them, whether it's a realistic goal or not. You know, I don't want to say just one, because my goals and ambitions are much higher than that.
All of a sudden in the Finals, you stepped up. Just how challenging was it adjusting to your new role with this team?
It's been difficult because it's a different role and I had to really learn it out there on the court. But I think the more positions I was in, the better I became. It's just all about figuring things out, and maximizing potential no matter what the situation is.
How much does individual criticism and criticism of the Heat get to you?
It doesn't get to me much. At first it used to get to me a lot, just because why it was like that. But now I really don't care. People are going to talk crap no matter what happens, so I just do my job.
How important are the 2012 Summer Olympics in London?
We have the ability. It's been a quick four years, but just having the opportunity to be a part of that -- we have memories in Beijing. That was very special and a great experience overall. It was living out a childhood dream to get a gold medal. Trying for two will be fantastic.
How do you feel Erik Spoelstra adjusted to his first head coaching gig with all of the star power?
I think he did a fantastic job. One thing about Spo is he's going to work his butt off. He's going to prepare like no other person. He's an extremely hard worker. Just because of that I know that he's never going to fail. Going through the things we went through, I know he hit a bunch of rough patches. I know we did as a team. It was a situation where we all just grew together through adversity.
Would you ever consider going to Europe, perhaps if we miss the drop-dead date of Jan. 6 for an NBA season?
I'm not sure. It would just depend on the opportunity. I'm really not the type of person to go out there and be like, "This is what I'm doing. This is what my mind is set on." I'm more methodical; I like to plan things out. If the situation was right, maybe. I can't even say that I would say yes or no, but it would to be a certain number of things happening for me to make a decision.
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