My Toronto Raptors fandom was born when Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady first flew through the newly opened Air Canada Centre, leading what was arguably the most exciting young team in the NBA. Admittedly though, my clearest Raptor memories are rooted in the Chris Bosh era, when mediocrity was the norm and yelling ‘onions’ after three pointers was acceptable.

As a result, most avid Raptors fans of my generation have a strong opinion about Bosh— whether we regard him as the leader of the team’s transition from the Carter years, or the backstabber that left the organization out to dry when he departed for South Beach in 2010. In any case, the NBA community—particularly Raptor fans—were shocked by and mocked Bosh’s response to a question about his Hall of Fame chances on Jan. 25:

“I [was] a Hall-of-Famer like four years ago; and I say that very seriously, though. I’ve talked about it before with my friends.”

While Bosh seems quite sure of himself—“four years ago” seems a bit extreme—is he out of line in his prediction? Looking at the crude numbers and past trends, he might not be too far off. He is one of only 35 players to amass over 13,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 700 blocks, and 500 steals. Of this group, 20 are either in the Hall of Fame, or are considered locks to make it once eligible. At just 29 years old, Bosh is the youngest in this group and his numbers will continue to rise, barring any injuries. Bosh also has eight All-Star selections to his name—only one eligible player in NBA history with eight All-Star appearances has yet to make the Hall (Larry Foust). Bosh, in all likelihood, will be selected to a few more All-Star games before his career is over. Finally, he has a great chance to add a few more championship rings (“not three, not four …”) to his hand, assuming Miami can keep the ‘Big Three’ together.

However, as Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports noted, basketball— unlike sports like baseball—does not have the type of significant numerical benchmarks that all but guarantee a player’s spot in the Hall. So while Bosh is on pace to reach all of these numbers, do they actually matter? It’s fair, then, to question whether Bosh will leave a legacy in the NBA. Upon discussion with anyone who follows the league, the initial consensus answer is ‘No.’ When he was the leader in Toronto, his teams were never serious contenders. Currently in Miami, the perception is that Bosh is playing ‘third fiddle’ to LeBron and Wade’s duet.

However, it can be argued that Bosh did, in fact, play an instrumental role in their championship run last season. When he was hurt, the team faltered and looked as if ‘LeBron wasn’t clutch.’ His return sparked the Heat’s dominance (LeBron may have helped, too.) Perhaps Bosh will follow the path of Hall-of- Famer James Worthy—who won three championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the ‘80s, playing ‘third-wheel’ behind Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar— and cement his legacy as the ‘ultimate third-wheel.’ That probably wouldn’t look so good on his plaque, though.

For those still skeptical, it is possible that Bosh can find his legacy outside of the championships he wins in Miami. As more teams try to emulate the Heat’s brand of “small-ball,” organizations will seek out centres likes Bosh—athletic big men, who can rebound and run the floor. If the NBA continues in this direction, Bosh may eventually be perceived as the prototype centre for this new era of basketball.

Although Bosh’s legacy with the Raptors isn’t particularly impressive when taking into account the team’s lack of success, Toronto fans should come to terms with the fact that he will likely be inducted to Springfield one day. He is deserving, after all; even if it kills us that his time in Toronto didn’t play the largest part.