<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Raptors forward Chris Bosh is one of the NBA's bright young stars and the cornerstone of the Toronto franchise. The 6-foot-11 lefty leads the Raptors in scoring (20.9) while ranking second in the league in rebounding (12.2). We caught up with him Friday for a Q&A before his team's game in Chicago. SI.com: You've been one of the NBA's top players since arriving in the celebrated Class of 2003, but all we ever seem to hear about is LeBron, Carmelo and D-Wade. What's it going to take to have your name included with the Holy Trinity? Chris Bosh: I have no idea. But you know I can't worry about stuff like that. I just play ball and concentrate on what's best for the team. It's kind of confusing. I feel I play some decent ball. But I just have to continue to get better every day and make sure I'm the right leader for this team. If we win more games a lot of that stuff will come. SI.com: You were part of the U.S. team, along with LeBron, Carmelo and D-Wade, that competed at last summer's world championships. Were you able to get to know them off the court? CB: Not that much. I didn't really get out that much. I stayed in my room a lot. That's just the way I am. But I got to know them a little. They like to have a good time, like to joke, things of that nature. They're funny guys. It was good because sometimes you get caught up watching TV all the time, and you don't know what guys are like. It was fun to get to know them a little bit. SI.com: David Stern says he'll revisit the issue of the new basketball. What advice would you give the Commish? CB: I'd tell him to take the advice of the players. We're the ones who have to play with it. If the majority of players don't like it, then that should tell him. Personally, I feel the new ball is OK but I like the old one better. [The old ball has] a different feel. It's smoother. It doesn't stick as much. It bounces better. Yes, I would like to see the old one brought back. SI.com: Your coach, Sam Mitchell, is rumored to be on the proverbial "hot seat." How is the team dealing with that uncertainty? CB: Everybody understands that rumors are part of game. It only takes one person to start a rumor. Sam is not worried about that. His only concern is to make us better. He's just trying to do his job, put us in a position to win games. That's all a coach can do, whether he's on the hot seat or not. Sam knows winning will take care of it. If we win, it will take care of itself. SI.com: You're from Texas, so we can assume you're a college football fan. Michigan or Florida? And do we need a playoff system? CB: That's a tough one. They both lost one game. ... If I had to pick one, I guess I'd have preferred to see a rematch. I think a playoff system is the only way to settle it. I doubt it will happen. But it's the only way you can say you're champions and not have anybody dispute it. SI.com: As a high school student you took calculus, and considered majoring in engineering at Georgia Tech. What made you take your studies so seriously when you were a kid? CB: It was my parents. They always told me school was important, and that you should try to do well in everything you do. My mom was a computer analyst, and my father is a plumbing designer. They did well [in school] and saw the success it brought them. They wanted the same for me. It wasn't always easy for me. Basketball was my gift. School came a little harder. But my parents said if I didn't meet my requirements at school they'd take basketball away from me. SI.com: You established the Chris Bosh Foundation to promote education and fitness in kids. Do these kids get your message when you talk to them? CB: I think so. They're pretty receptive, but you have to keep hammering away at it. A lot of kids think they're going to make the NBA. You'd be surprised how many kids are like that. I try to tell them to be realistic. I tell them they need to hit the books so that if they don't make the NBA they'll still have something to fall back on.</div> link
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CB: Not that much. I didn't really get out that much. I stayed in my room a lot. That's just the way I am. But I got to know them a little. They like to have a good time, like to joke, things of that nature. They're funny guys. It was good because sometimes you get caught up watching TV all the time, and you don't know what guys are like. It was fun to get to know them a little bit.</div> Sound like a typical loser that you ask to go hang out with your friends but decides to stay at home and play video games all day. I thought Bosh was cooler than that.
