Chris Bosh Was Wary Of “Pressure” That Came With Joining Houston Rockets

Despite its many advantages, an unyielding spotlight can still be harsh. Just ask Chris Bosh. In an interview with CBS Sports’ Ken Berger, the Miami Heat All-Star says that he elected against signing with the Houston Rockets this summer because “all that guarantees is a bunch of pressure.”

As Bosh thrives playing alpha dog for the Heat, it’s easy to forget that he came so close to resuming his long-held role as supporting piece despite LeBron James’ departure from South Beach.

Once The King announced his decision to return home, conventional wisdom was that that Bosh was bound for Houston to form the league’s newest Big Three with James Harden and Dwight Howard. Immediately after LeBron’s decision, a report came that the Rockets believed Bosh would commit to them “soon.” Only a couple hours later, though, word broke that the two-time champion chose to accept Miami’s offer a five-year maximum contract.

Despite the likelihood that Houston would be a better team than the Heat if Bosh were to sign there, his decision was understandable from multiple angles. Only Miami could sign him for five seasons; he’d been building a family in South Florida since 2010; and staying with the Heat would give him the chance to produce at franchise-player levels.

According to Bosh, however, another factor weighed on his choice: the toll of expectations. From the interview with CBS’ Ken Berger:

“I could see where people would think that’s an attractive site,” Bosh told CBSSports.com, speaking of Houston, where half the NBA expected him to land back in July. “They were trying to win right away. And I was really happy to be touted that I possibly could’ve been out there. But you know, that doesn’t guarantee anything, and I know that. All that guarantees is a bunch of pressure.”

Interesting.

It’s easy to believe that the glitz and glamour of playing for the league’s marquee team the past four seasons outweighed the negatives of that circumstance. Winning, endorsement opportunities, and a rising national profile are certainly attractive factors to any athlete.

But that basketball lifestyle has its drawbacks, too, and Bosh was obviously weary of it this summer. Instead of forming another super-team with the Rockets, he felt most comfortable taking a break from the spotlight by staying in Miami. Few are expecting the Heat to do anything meaningful this season, after all. Did you even know that Bosh’s team lost three of four games before winning on the road in Brooklyn last night? Miami is flying under the radar, a foreign reality that Bosh obviously appreciates.

This serves as a nice reminder that so many factors go into a player’s free agency choice. We never know the whole story; it’s a guessing game, and one that’s impossible to win. Remember that as this summer’s silly season gets underway.

What do you think?

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