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Note: Updated for Chris Bosh and Chris Webber’s 2021 Hall of Fame selections.
As the NBA has moved more and more towards “positionless” basketball (e.g. LeBron James could essentially play any position, and play it at a high level), the power forward archetype has evolved from a big bruiser who can score and rebound in the paint to more of a versatile playmaker with shooting range. In recent history, two players who have exemplified this paradigm shift are Chris Bosh and Chris Webber. At their respective peaks, each player was among the dominant power forwards in the game, leading us to ask the question:
Who was better – Chris Bosh or Chris Webber?
The Beginning
Both Bosh and Webber were highly recruited standout prep stars; after brief, but accomplished college careers, each one declared early for the NBA Draft and were top-five lottery picks who contributed immediately as rookies.
Growing up in Texas, Bosh was a dominant high school basketball player, leading his team to a perfect 40-0 record, a number one overall national ranking, and a USA Today national championship; individually, he racked up the accolades as well, including High School Player of the Year by Basketball America, Powerade Player of the Year in Texas, First Team All-American by PARADE, McDonald’s, and EA Sports, Second Team All-American by USA Today and SLAM Magazine, First Team All-State, and Mr. Basketball in Texas. After his stellar high school career, Bosh attended Georgia Tech, where as a freshman, he averaged 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, and led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in field goal percentage at 56.0%. As a result of this strong freshman campaign, he declared for the draft and was selected fourth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors – in one of the strongest draft classes in league history (which included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade in the top five), Bosh was an immediate starter for the Raptors as a rookie in 2003-2004 and averaged 11.5 points (45.9% shooting), 7.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists to make the All-Rookie team.
Likewise, Webber was a high school star in Michigan who helped lead his team to three straight state championships and in the process, was named Mr. Basketball in Michigan, a McDonald’s All-American, and the 1990-1991 National High School Player of the Year. Arguably the most heralded prep player in the state since Magic Johnson in the 1970s, Webber was recruited to the University of Michigan as one of the fabled “Fab Five” that also included Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. During his two seasons in Ann Arbor, Webber helped guide the Wolverines to the national championship game twice, but lost both times, first to Duke and then, to fellow blue-blood program North Carolina in a game that is best remembered for Webber’s infamous phantom timeout call. Nevertheless, as a sophomore, he was a First Team All-American and a finalist for both the Wooden and the Naismith College Player of the Year Awards (though most of his awards and honors have since been stripped away for being part of a basketball scandal involving money from boosters). As the number one overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft (the first sophomore drafted first overall since Magic), Webber was immediately traded from the Orlando Magic to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks; as a rookie, Webber averaged 17.5 points (on 55.2% shooting), 9.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game to win Rookie of the Year.
Career Comparison
The career progressions of Bosh and Webber were quite different – whereas Bosh established himself as a bona fide superstar in Toronto before accepting a complementary role in Miami to win championships, Webber, despite his unquestioned talent, bounced around with a number of teams throughout his career, finding his greatest individual and team success in Sacramento.
Bosh built upon his strong rookie year and improved to 16.8 points (on 47.1% shooting), 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in his second year before really exploding the following season; starting in 2005-2006, when he averaged 22.5 points (50.5% shooting), 9.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, he was an All-Star for five straight years in Toronto and averaged at least 22 points, 8.5 rebounds (including 2.5 offensive boards), and 2 assists per game each season. During this stretch, Bosh earned his only All-NBA selection as a Second Teamer in 2006-2007 on the strength of 22.6 points (49.6% shooting), 10.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. Notably, he capped off his stint with the Raptors with two straight 22-and-10 seasons:
- 2008-2009: 22.7 points (on 48.7% shooting), 10.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game
- 2009-2010: a career-high 24.0 points (51.8% shooting), a career-best 10.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game
With Toronto struggling, Bosh agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat for two first round picks and a trade exception during the 2010 season.
In Miami, Bosh teamed up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to form a new “Big Three”; individually, Bosh remained an All-Star player for each of his half-dozen seasons in Miami (11x overall), but nevertheless sacrificed his individual numbers for team success. During his first season with the Heat in 2010-2011, his numbers declined from a career-best year in Toronto to 18.7 points (49.6% shooting), 8.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. For the next few seasons, Bosh would remain in the 16-18 points, 7-8 rebounds, and 2 assists per game range; in fact, the last season of the “Big Three” in 2013-2014 was his lowest scoring output since his rookie season (16.2 points on 51.6% shooting, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game).
With LeBron’s return to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2014-2015 season, Bosh bounced back with his best scoring season since his Raptors days (21.1 points (46.0% shooting), 7.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game), though was limited to 44 games, first with a strained calf and then, due to blood clots in his lungs. He would return in 2015-2016 and played 53 games while averaging strong numbers, but again was sidelined due to a calf injury and this time, blood clots in his leg. Though Bosh tried to make a comeback from the blood clots, it turned out to be a career-ending medical condition and he would last play in the NBA at age 31.
As for Webber, despite his Rookie of the Year campaign with Golden State, he clashed with head coach Don Nelson and the relationship was irreconcilable after Webber exercised a one-year escape clause in his contract with no intention to return to the Warriors. Thus, he was sent in a sign-and-trade deal to the Washington Bullets (later renamed the Wizards) for Tom Gugliotta and three first-round picks. Reunited with Michigan teammate Juwan Howard, Webber spent four seasons in the nation’s capital and averaged 20+ points per game each year, including his first All-Star season in 1996-1997: 20.1 points (51.8% shooting), 10.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. However, he eventually wore out his welcome in Washington and was traded in 1998 to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe.
Webber would end up having some of his best years with the Kings, including winning a rebounding crown in his first season with Sacramento in 1998-1999: 20.0 points (48.6% shooting), a league-best 13.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. This would mark the first of five straight seasons as either a First, Second, or Third Team All-NBA selection, as well as a return to the All-Star Game in 1999-2000 with a then career-best 24.5 points (48.3% shooting), 10.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. The apex of Webber’s career came in 2000-2001 with his only First Team All-NBA season: a career-high 27.1 points (48.1% shooting), 11.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, good for a fourth-place MVP finish. After two more 23-and-10 seasons in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, he suffered a career-threatening knee injury in the 2003 playoffs and missed almost a year of action before returning to play 23 games in the 2003-2004 season. Midway through the 2004-2005 season, despite averaging 21.3 points per game, the rebuilding Kings traded Webber, Michael Bradley, and Matt Barnes to the Philadelphia 76ers for Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner, and Corliss Williamson.
Teaming up with Allen Iverson in Philadelphia, Webber showed glimpses of his former greatness in his only full season with the 76ers, putting up 20.2 points (though only 43.4% shooting), 9.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 2005-2006. The next year, he was bought out and waived and proceeded to sign with his hometown Detroit Pistons, though was a shell of his former greatness. Perhaps ironically, Webber’s career came full-circle in 2007-2008 when he returned to the Golden State Warriors; however, he only played nine games before retiring at 34.
On the whole, Webber played more seasons (15 vs. 13), but actually fewer career games than Bosh in the NBA (by 62 games); statistically, Webber averaged more points (20.7 vs. 19.2), rebounds (9.8 vs. 8.5), and assists per game (4.2 vs. 2.0), while Bosh was a far more efficient shooter and had better range (especially towards the end of his career, Bosh became a lethal three-point shooter). Interestingly, during their careers, Bosh earned more All-Star selections (11x vs. 5x), but Webber was far more frequently All-NBA (5x vs. 1x). Taking a look at the advanced metrics, their Player Efficiency Ratings are nearly identical (20.9 for Webber vs. 20.6 for Bosh), though Bosh has a significant edge in Win-Shares. After a wait for both of them, in particular for Webber, both Bosh and Webber were selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Regular Season Statistics
| Chris Bosh | Player | Chris Webber |
| 13 (2003-2016) | Seasons | 15 (1993-2008) |
| 893 | Games Played | 831 |
| 19.2 | Points | 20.7 |
| 8.5 | Rebounds | 9.8 |
| 2.0 | Assists | 4.2 |
| 49.4% | Field Goal % | 47.9% |
| 79.9% | Free Throw % | 64.9% |
| 20.6 | PER | 20.9 |
| 106.0 | Win Shares | 84.7 |
| 11x | All-Star Games | 5x |
| 1x | All-NBA | 5x |
| – | MVP | – |
| 2x | NBA Titles | – |
| – | NBA Finals MVP | – |
| All-Rookie | Other Awards | ROY |
| 2021 | Hall of Fame Induction | 2021 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
Throughout their careers, Bosh and Webber were both part of middling as well as championship-caliber teams, though only Bosh was able to summit the NBA’s highest peak (on multiple occasions, in fact).
As a Raptor, Bosh made the playoffs twice, including leading the team to its first division title and first playoff appearance in five years in 2006-2007, but was never able to guide them past the first round. However, as a member of the Heat, he made four straight postseason appearances in Miami; after losing in the NBA Finals in 2010-2011 to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat proceeded to win back-to-back titles, with Bosh playing a more complementary role in each championship:
- 2011-2012: beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games; averaged 14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game
- 2012-2013: beat a Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker-led San Antonio Spurs team in a hard-fought seven game series; averaged 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game
As for Webber, he made a total of 10 playoff appearances across five teams, with by far his best run coming with Sacramento. During six straight playoff appearances with a talented Kings team that also included the likes of Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, and Doug Christie, Webber came up just short of winning a title, often thwarted by the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. Most notably, in the 2001-2002 Western Conference Finals, despite Webber’s 24.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, the Kings would lose in overtime of Game 7 at home, the closest he ever came to a title; many years later, disgraced reference Tim Donaghy would claim that Game 6 was fixed (the Lakers won in part due to many controversial foul calls and shooting 27 free throws in the fourth quarter).
Internationally, after taking home a disappointing bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, Bosh was part of the 2008 “Redeem Team” that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics; in contrast, Webber does not have any significant experience representing Team USA.
Playoff Statistics
| Chris Bosh | Player | Chris Webber |
| 89 | Games Played | 80 |
| 15.6 | Points | 18.7 |
| 7.5 | Rebounds | 8.7 |
| 1.3 | Assists | 3.6 |
| 47.3% | Field Goal % | 46.4% |
| 80.0% | Free Throw % | 61.1% |
| 18.4 | PER | 18.9 |
| 9.4 | Win Shares | 5.5 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; this can be seen by Bosh’s premature retirement for health issues, as well as Webber’s injury-prone later years in the NBA. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Chris Bosh | Player | Chris Webber |
| 2005-2015 | Decade of Dominance | 1993-1995, 1996-2003, 2004-2005 |
| 684 | Games Played | 648 |
| 20.4 | Points | 21.9 |
| 8.7 | Rebounds | 10.2 |
| 2.1 | Assists | 4.5 |
| 50.0% | Field Goal % | 48.6% |
| 81.0% | Free Throw % | 63.8% |
| 21.4 | PER | 21.7 |
| 86.6 | Win Shares | 73.6 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.com
All of the key comparisons between Bosh and Webber hold across their decades of dominance – Webber put up better per-game counting numbers, but Bosh was more efficient; moreover, they have near-identical Player Efficiency Ratings, and Bosh again has a sizeable lead in Win-Shares.
My Thoughts
As good as each player’s career was, both Chris Bosh and Chris Webber could have achieved even more in the NBA – what if Bosh did not have to deal with his blood clot condition and played for another half-decade, what if Webber had not suffered a near-career-ending injury and had won a title with the Kings in 2001-2002? Nevertheless, as it stands, while it must be recognized that Bosh knowingly sacrificed his personal numbers for team success (he easily could have remained a 25-and-10 player as the go-to guy on the Raptors), I think Webber was the more talented and productive player – from Golden State to Washington to Sacramento, he was always the alpha dog on the team and put up the numbers accordingly; moreover, one key number that differentiates him from Bosh is assist numbers – for a big man, Webber was by far the better playmaker. Unfortunately, whether it be his infamous phantom timeout at Michigan, the booster scandal with the Wolverines, or the 2001-2002 Western Conference Finals with the Kings, Webber has constantly been dogged by notoriety and “what-ifs”, which perhaps (unfairly) kept him out of the Hall of Fame for many years.
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Chris Webber
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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