Chris Bosh is a power forward in all senses of the word. The 6’11 professional basketball player left school and burst into the NBA draft back in 2003, becoming one of the most sought-after players of the season. This came as no surprise, as the sport has always been in his blood. “I’ve played and watched basketball since I could remember,” he says. “I just gravitated towards it. Sports were just something I always loved from the first time I saw it."

Now, the all-star athlete is showing that he’s got some skills off the court as well. With a desire to show off his fashion finesse, Bosh partnered with accessories brand Armstrong and Wilson to create “Mr. Nice Tie”, a line inspired by a childhood spent watching his dad manipulate ties in front of the mirror. “Ties made sense because I’ve started to wear them all the time,” he says. “I wanted to learn about the fashion business and see what type of brand I could create. It’s been cool to actually make something out of nothing.”

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Chris’s line, originally with 5 ties and 5 bow-ties, is taking off and ready for the next step. With the successful clothing brand on the rise and NBA victories on the horizon, it’s clear that there’s nothing Chris Bosh can’t do.

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Finding some time off the court, Chris talked with Maxim about what life would be without basketball, his go-to drink, and the importance of a dinner jacket.

If I wasn’t playing basketball, I'd be a movie critic. That way I could kind of do what I wanted throughout the day as long as I get my work done. I'd do networking with big directors and producers, hang out with movie stars and watch movies all the time. And I'd get advanced copies of movies before they come out. Sounds pretty cool to me.

I love a good pair of jeans. For the longest time, I couldn't find jeans that actually fit me growing up and when I first got in the league. Now I have nice, good looking jeans that actually fit!

My go-to drink is an Old Fashioned in a social setting. Not too much simple syrup though. I'm not a fan of sweet drinks. I'm also a beer guy though. There are so many different kinds and types to choose from. You can have something different every time.

Back in the day, my style was pretty simple. I didn't have enough money to get a lot of clothes so I always wore sweats and sneakers. We weren't allowed to wear shorts at school so athletic gear was my go to. It's transitioned with the times. I'm a grown man with a family now so I take that into account with my appearance. I still wear things I'm comfortable in along with fashionable pieces of course, but I wear more suits and dress up more than I used to.

A man should wear what he feels comfortable in on a first date. Of course, the clothes should fit and it should be something presentable for wherever the date is, but comfort is biggest overall. You want to go in feeling like yourself so you should wear something that you feel isn't too much.

I try to make sure I clean up my goatee once a week. My facial hair doesn't grow super-fast like some of my friends but it grows fast enough. I try to keep it clean and civilized. And of course washing my face twice a day. I had filial acne as a teenager so I try to keep my face as clean as possible. With as much as I sweat, zits can still be a problem if I don't take care of my skin.

Every man should have at least one nice dinner jacket. It's versatile. You can dress it up with slacks or dress it down with a nice pair of jeans if you're just going out for drinks. A jacket is something you can wear a lot of different ways so you get a lot of wear out of it.

Photos by April Belle