Hot! Chris Bosh Biography

Chris Bosh was a member of the National Honor Society before he was a member of the National Basketball Association. He knew how to use a slide rule before he perfected his slide-step. And Chris was a pro in the classroom long before he began schooling pro opponents. In short, he was always one of those kids who could do anything he set his mind to, or be anything he wanted to be. With the Miami Heat, he will attempt to become a cornerstone of a basketball dynasty. With some help from a couple of high-profile friends, no one doubts Chris will start adding championship rings to his hardware collection. This is his story

GROWING UP

Christopher Wesson Bosh was born on March 2, 1984 in Dallas, Texas. (Click here for today's sports birthdays .) His parents, Freida and Noel, welcomed another son, Joel, two years later. Freida was a computer-savvy systems analyst, while Noel was a plumbing engineer who helped design apartment and office buildings. Both parents were good at the details and saw the big picture, too. This rubbed off on Chris, who was active and curious as a pre-schooler.

What Freida and Noel found intriguing was that these two qualities seemed to be connected Chris always wanted to know how to do things. What was the fastest way to run? The best way to throw? He was deeply interested in the different things he could make his body do. The Boshes enrolled him in karate and gymnastics classes, and he excelled in both. A Nerf hoop fostered his love of basketball.

Chris and Joel were big for their ages. (Freida and Noel both stood taller than six feet.) The boys played Nerf so hard that they soon destroyed the door to their room. Noel decided it was time for the boys to take it outside. He put up a backyard hoop, and the rest was history.

Chris s first brush with basketball fame came in the lobby of a Dallas hotel when he was seven or eight. He spotted one of his favorite players, John Salley of the Detroit Pistons. Salley spent some time talking to Chris and gave him an autograph. Over the years, the youngster became a big fan of the Detroit forward and followed his long career. He especially appreciated how comfortable Salley seemed off the court and how intelligent he was when he appeared on TV.

ON THE RISE