NBA 2018-19: 3 Reasons why Chris Bosh's No. 4 jersey should be retired by Toronto Raptors

This week in the NBA was as much about determining playoff participants and their playoff positioning as much as it was about honoring the past.

The Spurs, on Thursday, March 28th, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, honored one of their former greats Manu Ginobili. Ginobili retired in 2018 after a 16-year career all with the Spurs.

He went from the 57th pick in 1999 to help the Spurs win four NBA Titles from 2002-2018. His No. 20 jersey is now hoisted to the rafters of the Spurs homecourt building in memory of his contributions to one of the NBA’s better teams.

Prior to the honoring of Manu Ginobili, on Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 The Miami Heat also honored a former star in Chris Bosh raising his No.1 jersey to the rafters.

Unlike Ginobili who was drafted by the Spurs, Bosh was acquired by way of a sign and trade with the Toronto Raptors in the summer of 2010.

During Bosh’s six seasons in Miami, four of which were with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the Miami Heat won two NBA Championships. Also, unlike Ginobili who retired due to age, Bosh’s career was cut short due to health concerns specifically blood clots.

Chris Bosh’s ceremony in Miami raises an intriguing question. Bosh did play 13 seasons in the NBA and seven of them with the Toronto Raptors.

During that time, his final five years in Toronto specifically, he was a dominant All-Star quality player and Toronto’s best during that era.

The question is should Bosh be honored and have his No. 4 jersey retired in Toronto as well? The answer is yes and here is why.

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#1 Toronto hasn't retired any former players' jerseys yet

Both Vince Carter’s No. 15 and Chris Bosh’s No. 4 should be retired and both men recognized for their contributions to the organization's on-court past successes

The Toronto Raptors have been an NBA franchise since 1995. This is their 24th season in the NBA.

There are essentially three players in franchise history that deserve to have their jersey number immortalized from the Scotiabank Arena ceiling. Those three are Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, and DeMar DeRozan in order.

Next season will be the Raptors 25th year of operation. If Vince Carter, currently with the Atlanta Hawks, were to retire at the end of this season, the Raptors could do a double ceremony in their quarter-century anniversary season next year.

Both Vince Carter’s No. 15 and Chris Bosh’s No. 4 should be retired and both men recognized for their contributions to the organization's on-court past successes.

Carter was the star of the team when the Raptors made their first three playoff appearances from 2000-2002.

Bosh was the star of the Raptors when the team made their next two playoff efforts in 2007 and 2008. Someday, DeMar DeRozan should be honored as well in Toronto, but the first two retired jerseys by the Raptors should be Carter and Bosh.

#2 By the Stats

The statistics Chris Bosh amassed as a Raptors’ star is phenomenal

Chris Bosh played 13 years in the NBA. The first seven seasons were in Toronto. From 2005-2010, Chris Bosh’s scoring average was well over 20 points per game and he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds three of those five years. Bosh was also an NBA All-Star from 2006-2016 and five times in a Toronto Raptors jersey.

The statistics Chris Bosh amassed as a Raptors’ star are nearly nine years old and yet he is still the team’s all-time leader in rebounds at 4,476.

He is second in scoring to DeMar DeRozan with 10,275 points. Chris Bosh is still the team’s leader in blocked shots having recorded 600 during his time in Toronto.

Bosh is fourth in games played in a Raptors uniform at 509. He is second in minutes played during his Raptors’ tenure averaging 37 minutes a game or 18,815. Bosh also made 2,997 free-throws which is second in Raptors history.

While his playoff totals in a Raptors’ uniform do not rank him among the top all-time Raptors, the team only made the playoffs twice during Bosh’s seven seasons and both times the Raptors were knocked out in the first round.

However, he averaged 17.5ppg in 6 playoff matches in 2007 and 24ppg in 5 playoff games in 2008. Until his departure in 2010, the Raptors only true star players were Vince Carter and Chris Bosh.

#1 Class Act

When Chris Bosh was ready to leave Toronto, it was done as a free agent

Chris Bosh was a classy player. Often, players today want to win now and if they don’t believe it's going to happen they disparage their teammates or team management or both.

Players force their way out of town by demanding trades and care little for the financial investment the team’s management made in them or the emotional investment fans have in their quality of play.

When Chris Bosh was ready to leave Toronto, it was done as a free agent. There was no ill will by the player to the team that drafted him in 2003.

In fact, Bosh allowed the Raptors to sign and trade him to Miami for two first-round draft picks one which had previously belonged to Toronto and Miami’s 2011 pick.

Bosh also left a mark on the community in Toronto. In 2004 he founded the Chris Bosh Foundation to help youth with their studies and athletic endeavors.

The Chris Bosh Foundation also worked with the Toronto Special Olympics to raise money. In 2008 Bosh also pledged to donate $75.000.00 to the Boys and Girls Club of Canada. His foundation has programs to help youth in his home town of Dallas, Texas as well.

Chris Bosh has left an enormous contribution in positive ways on and off the court in the city of Toronto and should be remembered, honored, and thanked for his body of work.