Once even the most loyal of Chris Bosh fans have retired their revisionary delusions of grandeur regarding his career, the parallels between his tenure with the Toronto Raptors and that of Vince Carter — the oft demonized former Raps star — will be impossible to ignore. See cold, hard statistics below.
Vince – 403 GP, 23.4 PPG, .443 FG%, 5.2 RPG, 3.9 APG
Chris – 509 GP, 20.2 PPG, .492 FG%, 9.4 RPG, 2.2 APG
Ultimately, the most glaring similarity between the two once-glorified Raptor greats remains their mutual inability to procure a championship (or even a compelling playoff run) for the fans to enjoy, despite great individual success.
However, the general attitude towards Bosh’s imminent departure for sun-soaked Miami is one of understanding amongst Raptors fans. Contrary to when Vince opted to pursue other career avenues, the city and the player have parted ways amicably. No vilification, no bad blood, no torches and pitch-forks.
Thus, the sharply contrasting reactions of the ever-devoted contingent of Raptors fans remains a bit of a mystery. Vince now serves as Toronto’s favourite pariah, while the ‘Thank You, Chris Bosh’ committee is busy planning an extravagant parade in CB4’s honour.
But, when you suspends the emotional component of a team losing the face of its franchise, you are left only with the daunting task of assessing just how valuable they were to your team.
While many may mourn the loss of #4, those of us who follow the Raptors with nothing more than casual interest can evaluate the situation a tad more objectively. Bosh was good, but never good enough. His perpetual failure in elevating the calibre of his teammates’ play (*refer to Hedo Turkoglu’s 2009-2010 statistics*) is what precluded him from earning the elite label, and what separated him from the best-of-the-best.
That being said, I have no doubt that playing alongside a legitimate top-end guard in Dwyane Wade will eventually result in him winning a championship, but I digress.
Raptors fans will always reserve a special part of their heart for Chris Bosh, as he was our saviour in the post-Vince era. But, before he is excessively glorified and ultimately immortalized in Raptors lore, ask yourselves this, fans: was he really any better than VC?