Chris Bosh has been an amazing talent since he walked into the league. He was an All-Star with the Raptors before completely changing his game to fit with the Miami Heat, where he was a key cog in two championship teams playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Yet, all anyone thinks about Bosh is his third banana status as part of the Heatles. When he plays poorly, everyone jumps on him. And when he plays well, it was because anyone could play well with LeBron. He could never win.

Bosh was compared with the greats of his era right off the bat, as he was a member of the 2003 NBA draft. Because there are so many other studs in that draft, it seems like very few people appreciate just how good Bosh is.

This brings to mind an unappreciated Pokemon in the first generation. On the surface, Venusaur is an awesome Pokemon. It is one of the best grass-types in the game, and a powerful member of any lineup.

Yet, all people want to do is compare it to the other two possible starting Pokemon’s second evolutions. Sure, Venusaur seems okay, but not when you can get a Blastoise or a Charizard instead.

So, through no fault of its own, Venusaur is looked at only in comparison to Blastoise and Charizard. And no one ever gives Venusaur the respect it deserves, despite the fact that its awesomeness is independent of these other two Pokemon.

Plus, Venusaur is one of the few viable grass options in the game. Blastoise and Charizard may be significantly better, but there are plenty of solid fire and water options.

This is a great comparison for Bosh, because he is such an excellent third option. There are plenty of players as good as Bosh when they have the ball in their hands all the time, but few can be as lethal a weapon as Bosh on limited touches. His ability to be both a low-usage and high-usage superstar are what set him apart. Ask Kevin Love how easy it is to adjust to being the third option. Love was better than most give him credit for last season, but it was not an easy move for him.

There are better players than Bosh, but very few that can do the things he does as well as him, just as there are few grass Pokemon that can do the things Venusaur does.

So, educate yourself, and stop thinking of Chris Bosh only in the context of the Heat’s dream team and Venusaur only in the context of the starters in the Pokemon game. It’s time we gave them each credit for what they really are.