Chris Bosh: 'No hard feelings'

ByBrian Windhorst ESPN logo
Thursday, October 9, 2014

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Chris Bosh has effectively ended communication with former teammate LeBron James, but Bosh doesn't think that fact should surprise anyone.

Bosh surprised some when he said he hadn't spoken with James since he left to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in July. But he doesn't understand the surprise.

"There's no hard feelings or anything," Bosh said after the Miami Heat practiced Thursday in advance of their preseason game against the Cavs on Saturday. "If we're both trying to win, he's against us, and that's a matter of fact."

This isn't personal, Bosh said, and he reinforced it by recalling a gift he and his wife, Adrienne, recently sent James.

"He had a baby shower, and we sent him a gift for his daughter," Bosh said. "Then training camp started, and that was about it."

Clarifying comments he made Tuesday, Bosh said he did speak with James briefly at Dwyane Wade's wedding Aug. 30.

"My time is backwards and everything, but we talked," Bosh said. "I want people to understand I'm a competitor, and he's on the other team. I think he'd understand that, and I understand that, and that's how it is now."

For his part, James tried to downplay the emotions that many are expecting from him when he sees his former teammates.

"It's going to be special to see those guys on Saturday," he acknowledge. "But both teams are here to work. I'll acknowledge those guys for sure, I'm still cool with all of those guys. It's really not a story, it's what people make it. I just made a decision like a lot of people made decisions this summer."

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