Chris Bosh is a pioneer of the modern NBA

After a series of fits and starts over the past three seasons, the Miami Heat on Wednesday announced they would waive Chris Bosh. The decision comes after blood clots near the heart raised questions Bosh’s long-term health if he were to continue playing basketball. It will stand as a remorsefully quiet end to a brilliant career.

Health concerns began for Bosh the season directly following LeBron James’ return to Cleveland broke up The Big Three. The Basketball Fates, it seems, have mercy. Bosh experienced a renaissance over those four Big Three seasons, though you wouldn’t have expected it around December of 2010. The reason he will be remembered as an all-time great player stems directly from the direction he chose for himself following the disappointing start to that 2010-11 campaign.

With James and Dwyane Wade fighting to gain rhythm on the wing, Bosh had his own problems to sort out down low. He had never really been a stretchy big before in his career, especially considering that term really didn’t exist at that point. If Bosh were to make it work, he would be entering unknown territory for players like him. Post players were supposed to use their matchup advantage and tiptoe their way into easy buckets at the rim; superstars were never to adjust.

Bosh did both in Miami. He gradually became more comfortable with his jumper, posting three consecutive seasons in which over a third of his shots came between 16 feet and 3-point range, according to Basketball-Reference. Finally, by the fourth year, when players like Rashard Lewis and Shane Battier were used along with Bosh as the blueprint for James’ ideal ecosystem, Bosh bought into the stretch entirely. During the 2013-14 season, Bosh shot more 3s during one season than he did during his entire seven-year career in Toronto.

The threat of Bosh’s decision-making from around the arc is what turned the Big Three Heat teams into a dynasty. It made room for James and Wade’s athleticism, occupied a frontcourt defender completely and unleashed pick-and-pop fury.

An equally egalitarian decision allowed the Heat defense to thrive. Rather than leave defense to the role players or save energy on that end until the second half, Bosh became the focal point of Miami’s aggressive blitzing scheme throughout those four years. Their system required a light-footed big who could step out and feign a trap toward the baseline on the ball-handler before recovering back toward the screener to disrupt them. Bosh proved more than capable; even elite. Three dozen men can call themselves champions for it.

All the while, he was able to make over half his shots, rebound the ball and play the part of a traditional big man when called upon, though he was far from it. Today, two things are more commonplace in the NBA than they were when Bosh transformed it. First, super-teams have become the primary way champions are built. Second, sacrifice is understood as a byproduct of their formation. In 2010, those questions were louder and less nuanced. Bosh answered.

On James’ next team, Kevin Love struggled to find his role due to injury and inefficiency.  The fit has always been uncomfortable. Two seasons in, Love adapted into an ultra-rebounder and (somewhat) versatile defender, contributing toward five Finals victories over two seasons. Across the court last season, Cleveland watched a different sort of sacrifice pull several different kinds of players into a historically dominant champion for Golden State. Andre Iguodala now mostly plays defense and passes the ball; Shaun Livingston watches his minutes change from game to game; Kevin Durant is no longer the unquestioned Alpha.

With respect to Steve Kerr and his tremendously creative staff, when we see what the Warriors have been able to pull off culturally, we should think of Chris Bosh. No one guy’s individual creativity has ever impacted his team or the league more. Bosh rethought his role not only on a new team, but within a league that looked a lot different than when he entered it, next to unfamiliar teammates, across from a hands-off coach. It was his ingenuity and hard work that turned the Heat into a prototype for this entire era of NBA basketball.

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Miami announced in conjunction with this release that the No. 1 jersey he wore for them will be retired. That likely means there will be a ceremony and some think pieces at some point next season. When that day comes, the league will be sending off a pioneer, far too soon.