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Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh is the foundation of the team right now. Projected even by their general manager to remain a lottery team in 2005-06, the Raptors are underdogs in the upcoming season. Bosh was in New York on Tuesday for an NBA Live video game event, and InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner met with him for an exclusive interview.

InsideHoops.com: The Raptors are getting younger, adding young guns to play around you. The team still has a few vets but the core is clearly headed towards youth.

Chris Bosh: Yeah, that's the main focus right now, that I'm getting from it. Of course we're rebuilding, everybody knows that. So we're just getting a lot of guys who want to work hard, want to be here. A lot of guys who have the reputation of being blue collar athletes, and we're just building from the ground up. They came and told me they want to build around me, and make sure that young guys come in, and we get adjusted to each other so we can grow together. And you know, that's cool. I can respect that. But I want to win now. A lot of people say, well, they're not going to win, they're young... that's not an excuse to me.

InsideHoops.com: On the one hand they're rebuilding, around you, but on the other hand, winning now is also nice.

Chris Bosh: Some people say we're young, we're not supposed to win that game, we're young... I don't play that. If you're on the same court - we're all in the NBA - go out there and act like it. We're going to play like it. We're all going to act like, play like we're in the NBA and compete every night. Everybody feels the same way on the Raptors.

InsideHoops.com: And obviously related to all that, general manager Rob Babcock as you know a few weeks ago pointed out that you guys are rebuilding, and rebuilding teams tend to not win too often, and he took heat for that. And then he tried to clarify a little, but I know players had definite reactions to it.

Chris Bosh: That's what we're doing, rebuilding. But we aren't going to lay over and say, well, we're not supposed to win that many games. I'm ready to win. I came here to win. Everbody does. We're going to compete.

InsideHoops.com: Have you gotten a chance to play with Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham?

Chris Bosh: Yeah. I've played with both of them. We've been playing together, getting adjusted to each other and working out together. It's been good.

InsideHoops.com: You're a versatile player. Villanueva can do some things, too. And on the one hand in the NBA it's key that guys have clearly defined roles, but it's also great when guys can do more than one thing, are versatile and can be used in different ways. So between you and him, how do you see that playing out, position-wise?

Chris Bosh: To me, you can put both of us down there, down low, and have the (other) team pick their poison. If you're going to put their best defender on me, you got Charlie to worry about. That's how I see it. And that's how they see it, too. Eventually, as we get more experienced, and bigger, stronger, older, it'll work out.

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