Chris Bosh is one of the most underrated players ever. He is one of the pioneers in breaking the stigma surrounding the traditional power-forward position. He was multi-talented and skilled enough to face his opponents from the perimeter to the paint. Adding his shooting prowess to that, Chris Bosh was an unstoppable force in his prime with the Toronto Raptors.
For a young DeAndre Jordan, going up against Chris Bosh was not at all how he expected it to be. He thought he could face anyone on the court with his natural talent and jumping ability. But little did he know that he would get his ‘welcome to the NBA’ moment from the Raptors legend.
Chris Bosh welcomed Jordan to the NBA
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In a recent episode of the Knuckleheads podcast, NBA champion DeAndre Jordan shared various stories from his time in the league. He came into the league in 2008. He played his first 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. During the conversation, Jordan was asked about his struggles during his rookie season and was asked, “Who was the first person to bust your a**?“.
When Jordan made it to the league, he believed that if he played with a lot of intensity and energy, he would get more playing time. So he focused on rebounding and shot-blocking. So anytime he saw someone put their hand up, Jordan was jumping to try and block the shot. Everything went well till they faced the Toronto Raptors.
Chris Bosh was extremely good with his pump fakes. So in the paint, as soon as Bosh got his elbows up, Jordan would jump. But this didn’t end well, as before Jordan landed back on the ground, Bosh would have scored the bucket. So for his next possession, Jordan decided not to jump at the pump fake. But this time he faked twice, and Jordan jumped and got a foul.
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This made his teammates at the time tell him to focus on his timing and learn the tendencies of the players. Deandre Jordan, being the young 19-year-old that he was at the time, was just excited to share the court with these NBA legends.
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DeAndre Jordan and the Lob City trio
During his time with the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan was part of the ‘Lob City‘ trio. Jordan, Blake Griffin, and Chris Paul were seen as championship contenders. But they were never able to reach their full potential. But over the years, Jordan learned how to be better and not just rely on his athleticism.
Although he has never learned to have a reliable jumper like Chris Bosh, he knows his role and does it to the best of his ability. He has the highest field-goal percentage in NBA history. Jordan only takes shots that he knows he can make. He does not try to overcompensate for his lack of skill in the shooting department. Over the years, he has also learned to be a great team defender. All this has led to Jordan being a desirable backup center at his age. He recently won his first championship with the Denver Nuggets and is the first of the Lob City trio to do so.
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What do you think of DeAndre Jordan’s career? Let us know in the comments!