MIAMI — Chris Bosh stood at center court, looked out at the Miami Heat fans and just let the words flow. He spoke about his health scare in 2015. He spoke of his grandfather, the one he called Daddy Jack, the one who told his first grandson that he was going to be special one day.
And was Daddy Jack ever right.
In Heat history, his grandson is now officially immortal.
Wearing a Heat championship ring on both hands, Bosh watched a giant banner bearing his name and No. 1 raised to the rafters of AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday night — then delivered an emotional address to the crowd, part of it even in Spanish as a show of respect to the Latin culture of Miami.
“My name, my family name up here, that’s something I used to get laughed at for dreaming of,” Bosh said. “So never let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish your dream. Those four letters on the back of that jersey are my wife’s name, my kids’ name, my father’s name, my grandfather’s name. We’re not just carrying on for another generation. But now, Daddy Jack, we’re up there forever.”