Letters to a Young Athlete

A legendary NBA player shares his remarkable story, infused with hard-earned wisdom about the journey to self-mastery from a life at the highest level of professional sports

Chris Bosh, NBA Hall of Famer, eleven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the league's Global Ambassador, had his playing days cut short at their prime by a freak medical condition. His extraordinary career ended "in a doctor's office in the middle of the afternoon." Forced to reckon with moving forward, he found himself looking back over the course he'd taken, to the pinnacle of the NBA and beyond.

Reflecting on all he had learned from a long list of basketball legends, from LeBron and Kobe to Pat Riley and Coach K, he saw that his important lessons weren't about basketball so much as the inner game of success — right attitude, right commitment, right flow within a team. Now he shares that journey, giving us a view from the inside of what greatness feels like and what it takes. Letters to a Young Athlete offers a proven path for taming your inner voice and making it your ally, through the challenges of failure and success alike.

"Letters to a Young Athlete is a thoughtful, helpful manual for aspiring athletes to follow. The strength of the individual is the team and the strength of the team is the individual. Chris Bosh says all that and more to young athletes." — Phil Jackson

"Chris Bosh understands the complex reality of becoming a champion, and his book will show you how to navigate those challenges and win." — Tim S. Grover

"Chris Bosh, one of the smartest pro athletes of my life...goes deep on so many topics....[Letters to a Young Athlete] is so smart, so thoughtful." — Colin Cowherd

Chris Bosh fell in love with basketball at an early age and earned the prestigious Mr. Basketball title while still in high school in Texas. Bosh was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors. During his time with the Raptors, Bosh became a five-time NBA All-Star and appeared for the US national team (with whom he won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics). In 2010, Bosh left Toronto for the Miami HEAT, joining forces with current Miami HEAT star Dwyane Wade, and NBA All-Star LeBron James, creating what became known as The Big Three. During his time with the HEAT, Bosh won two back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 before playing his final game in February of 2016 prior to a medical condition which no longer allowed him to pursue his career on the court. By the end of his basketball career he was an 11-time NBA All-Star and the NBA's first Global Ambassador of Basketball. In March of 2019, Bosh's #1 Jersey was officially retired. In addition to his basketball career, in 2004, Bosh set up the Chris Bosh Foundation, which is now known as Team Tomorrow, and regularly speaks to youths about the benefits of reading. Bosh, his wife Adrienne Williams, and their five children reside in Austin and Miami.