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Wow, talk about some incredibly kind words about NBA All-Star Chris Bosh. Please, for those of you who are bitter that the young man left after one season - GET OVER IT! He did the right thing and you would have too. And it benefits this school for him having been here. Don't forget about recruiting benefits of seeing a Georgia Tech guy that left early and is being showcased in the NBA All-star game.
Check out the article and some of these quotes:
"We found out about him because he was such a great student. We went to see him primarily because he had very good grades," Hewitt said in a phone interview from Atlanta. "And then once we got him into practice we kind of realized: this guy is different.
"You could see right away that he had not only special talent, but he had a very special work ethic in how he approached the game and how he wanted to become the best."
None of this surprises Hewitt, who says Bosh is the perfect package of smarts, talent and a good attitude.
"He's unbelievable," said Hewitt. "It's rare to find such an all-around player. He's a good student, he's a good person, he's a great player, he works at his game, he's humble. I don't care what field you're in, it's rare to have a person that has that combination."
And while people around the NBA rave about Bosh's wide-ranging talents, Hewitt says they've always been there, he's just constantly improving on them.
"I remember one game we played and the team was pressing us and I had him bringing the ball up the court," said Hewitt. "A fellow coach, a friend of mine called me and said, 'Either you're a genius or you're crazy. How do you have a 6-10 freshman bringing the ball up the court? Don't you realize that every NBA team will see that?"'
While the all-star selection is a well-earned honour, Bosh won't be one to rest on his laurels, and as Mitchell told him last week, the next step is to make the Raptors a playoff team.
"You know what he looked at me and said? He was like, 'Coach, just keep me humble, stay on me, keep pushing me, keep me humble, keep (me) focused on the big prize,"' Mitchell told reporters.
And check out how Chris Bosh is trying to make a difference off the court:
While Bosh continues to lead the Raptors on the court, he's also quietly making a huge difference off it, through his Chris Bosh Foundation.
With a mandate to promote education, social enrichment and athletics in youth, Bosh runs a book club and mentoring programs in Toronto, and recently opened the Chris Bosh Learning Centre in south Dallas, a resource centre for students stocked with computers and study materials.
Hewitt has travelled to Dallas the past couple of off-seasons to work with Bosh on his back-to-school events, where the Foundation provides everything underprivileged kids need for back-to-school, from school supplies to haircuts to scholarships for SAT preparation courses.
Bosh and his cousin Adriane Mayes started the foundation during his one season in college. Mayes, who has a Masters degree in business administration, shares a Toronto condo with Bosh and runs the business side of his foundation.
Did you read that closely? He and his cousin started the foundation while he was IN COLLEGE. I find that hard to believe, but if it's true then wow! Well, wow either way. He's a special talent. He's a special young man and Georgia Tech was better off for having experienced his game even if it only lasted one truly up-and-down season.