MIAMI – Dwyane Wade doesn't like to drink beer, but he is a supportive friend and teammate. So, when Chris Bosh was ready to introduce his latest passion project to the world Tuesday night – a barbecue-flavored craft beer called "Daddy Jack" – Wade was right there to take a sip of the brew.

View photos Chris Bosh didn't play in this year's All-Star Game. (NBAE/Getty Images) More

The beer, which Bosh created with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, has a "smoky" flavor, Wade said, and tastes "as if you were drinking barbecue." But as close as the two have become during their six years together in South Florida, Wade won't be ordering any cases for consumption. Wade will, however, continue to encourage and uplift Bosh as the forward confronts his athletic mortality for the second year in a row.

The special dinner and beer event was Bosh's first public appearance since he has been dealing with the potential dangers of a recurring medical condition that forced him out of the All-Star Game in Toronto and could once again end his season in February. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Wade and several of Bosh's teammates have stated that the 11-time All-Star has remained upbeat despite the turmoil and uncertainty around him.

"He’s been great. Obviously, we’re not at home with him. I’m sure it’s frustrating for him," Wade told The Vertical. "I’m sure it’s hard for him when the doors close at his house and he has a moment of silence. But when he’s out, he continues to live life."

Bosh has never been one who has struggled to find balance between his career and his life off the court. A naturally curious individual and self-proclaimed "nerd," Bosh has always had more to offer than a fadeaway in the low post or a spot up 3-pointer. The game has provided the means for Bosh to explore wherever his imagination takes him – traveling around the world and exploring different cultures with his family in the summer, learning to speak Spanish, taking up acoustic guitar, writing code for computers or brewing a craft beer.

Bosh's outside interests have made him more well-rounded, but basketball remains at his core. The possibility of losing another season has been difficult for Bosh to accept after investing so much emotionally and physically to return to All-Star form. Wade called the situation "a shot in the back."

"Chris loves to play this game. He loves it," Wade told The Vertical. "And he’s one of the best at it."

Bosh has also been one of the more underappreciated stars throughout his time in the league. Early in his career in Toronto, Bosh came up with creative Internet videos to generate some attention in the states. When Bosh made his first All-Star appearance in Houston in 2006, the 6-foot-11 Dallas native waited at the baggage-claim carousel for several minutes and rolled out with his luggage without anyone seeking his autograph or acknowledging his existence.

The fame and championships Bosh long desired finally arrived when he teamed up with Wade and LeBron James in Miami, but it came at a cost. Many a super team has failed because players are unwilling to take a step or two back. But Bosh sacrificed his personal statistics and dramatically changed his game – stepping out to become an accurate 3-point shooter – so that the superstar experiment would actually work.

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