Chris Bosh Defends LeBron James Signing 76ers Contract, Says Jordan and Kobe Were 'Ring-Chasers' Too

Eleven-time All-Star Chris Bosh doesn't see a big difference between LeBron James' move to the Philadelphia 76ers and what legends did in the past.

Bosh asserted that "everybody chases rings," calling both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant "ring-chasers," per HoopsHype.

"Everybody wants a ring," he said. "I'll chase a ring right now."

James signing with the Miami Heat in 2010 was a watershed moment for player movement in the NBA. From that point forward, marquee stars felt more freedom to pursue greener pastures, be it through trades or free agency.

That's why it's tough to compare the present day to the NBA landscape 20 or 30 years ago.

Today's discourse also somewhat obscures how Hall of Famers such as Bryant and Jordan operated.

Bryant considered a trade in 2007 after the Los Angeles Lakers hit a wall following Shaquille O'Neal's exit. Instead, Los Angeles eventually acquired Pau Gasol and the nucleus of the next title-winner was formed.

That's also to say nothing of how Bryant put his thumb on the scale to make sure he wound up in L.A. in the 1996 draft.

In the case of Jordan, the Chicago Bulls had almost totally different rosters between their two three-peats in the 1990s. He didn't have to "ring-chase" elsewhere because Jerry Krause, for all of his faults, knew how to build a championship winner.

The aforementioned O'Neal played for six different teams across his 19-year career. He joined ready-made contenders when he got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and then signed with the Boston Celtics during his final two years.

We'll never know how Bryant or Jordan would've approached their careers in an NBA where blockbuster trades are the norm. We can at least draw some conclusions based on how badly they wanted to win a championship every single season.