Ranking the 12 best players that LeBron James has played with

LeBron Teammate #4: Chris Bosh

Before Kevin Love was the third member of a LeBron-led big three, there was 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh. Bosh spent his first seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors, establishing himself as one of the best offensive big men in the NBA. However, once Hall of Famer Wade recruited him and LeBron to play in Miami, his role changed dramatically.

He went from averaging 24 points a game in Toronto to being Miami’s third offensive option and was often tasked with doing the dirty work like rebounding, defense, and spotting up to create open space for LeBron and Wade. To his credit, he played the role to perfection and despite not being known as a defensive player prior to joining the Heat, he became an impactful one thanks to his height, length, and mobility.

In fact, his size was one of the reasons why coach Eric Spoelstra made the faithful decision to move Bosh up to center during the 2012 NBA playoffs. That decision helped lead to the “Pace and Space” era for the Heat in which they sought to put the best players on the floor as opposed to playing more traditional lineups that included two big men.

With Bosh at center, and expanding his range out from the mid-range to taking threes, the Heat’s offense suddenly became far more dangerous. After they acquired Allen and Shane Battier, the Heat began playing more and more unorthodox lineups that put pressure on opposing teams.

Bosh was key to that game plan since he could defend big men in the post while also switching out and containing guards in pick and rolls. After making the change, the Heat won two championships in three seasons before LeBron left South Beach. Still, Bosh’s contribution to the Heat’s success shouldn’t be overlooked and he was a key reason why LeBron has two of his four championships.