“It reminded me of Showtime in a lot of ways with those three players.” Imagine denying the existence of a Big Three in Miami, especially when the franchise president has lavished praise on the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. That’s exactly what James’ agent and long-time friend Rich Paul said Via @PatMcAfeeShow. And fans seem in no mood to let this controversial take slide.  

Rich Paul’s argument? That only James and Wade played superstar roles, while Bosh sacrificed his game to make the experiment work. While it may appear as praise, this completely undermines Chris Bosh’s legacy as a part of the Big 3 in the Miami Heat.

“That wasn’t really a big three,” said Paul. “There was three guys that went in the lottery, and they did really well individually on their teams, so they had big numbers and had big accomplishments, but when you think about it, Bosh was the ultimate professional. He took a backseat. And he played a role in which because he had such a high IQ and he was such a professional as an individual. His approach to everything is what made that work.”

Bosh and James joined Wade in Miami during the summer of 2010 to chase championships together. All three had to sacrifice some parts of their games to make their plan work. Among the three, however, it was the 6’11” big man whose numbers significantly suffered. But does that make his contribution to the team any less significant? Well, the X users on the post shared by Sports Legacy certainly disagree strongly.

Fans rally in support of Chris Bosh against Rich Paul undermining his Heat legacy

“LeBron’s PR team working overtime,” wrote one X user. Well, for years, LeBron James has carried the tag of forming a superteam of sorts with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to secure championships. So when fans got even the slightest hint that this legacy was being rebranded, eyebrows were bound to rise. Many couldn’t help but question if this was an effort to quietly erase the idea of the Big 3 altogether.

And if you’ve followed Chris Bosh’s journey, you probably understand why fans were quick to clap back. As one reminded, “Lol they act like Bosh wasn’t averaging 25 and 10 in Toronto.” That stat might be a little off, but the sentiment? Spot on. Bosh consistently put up 20+ points over five straight seasons before heading to Miami. Not to mention, he recorded triple-doubles in three of those years. Even in Miami, CB4 averaged 18.2 PPG throughout his stint. That’s not just solid—that’s superstar-level production.

Naturally, frustration bubbled up. “Getting sick of the bosh disrespect,” a fan commented—and honestly, can you blame them? Sharing the floor with LeBron, often in GOAT talks, and Wade, widely seen as the third-best shooting guard ever, has its drawbacks. It’s easy to get overlooked, no matter how vital your role was.

But some fans came with receipts. “This was Bosh averaging whole time in MIA if this isn’t a 3rd Star I don’t know what is…” wrote one, while sharing Chris Bosh’s Miami stats: over 16 points and 6 boards in 2013 and 2014, and even better numbers in 2011 and 2012.

Yet, not every take was confrontational. While some interpret Paul’s remarks as a nod to Bosh’s selflessness, one user saw he silver lining, writing, “Yall don’t understand what he saying. He’s praising Bosh for taking that backseat in the big 3 cause he could’ve stayed a 25 plus scorer anywhere else.” In either case, it’s clear that fans are in no mood to let Chris Bosh’s legacy be undermined just to erase what has been the reality for decades now: the Miami Heat’s Big3.

Perhaps Paul’s comments have provided us, the fans, the perfect opportunity to revisit Bosh’s legacy. What do you think?