Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh had a hellish season after blood clot issues caused him to miss parts of the regular season and the entire playoffs. Now it appears, the medical issues could prevent Bosh from ever stepping on the court again.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports the Heat fear Bosh’s health and questions about treatment — notably whether it was safe for him to come off blood thinners and be able to play without blood clots developing — could prevent him from ever being medically cleared by doctors to play.
“There is a fear within the Heat organization that Bosh’s condition will prevent him from ever being cleared to play by team doctors, several sources said. It’s a result of exhaustive consultations with specialists. Something this big and delicate, the sides have gone deep attempting to understand all the options.
It’s forced everyone to confront the possibility of Bosh ultimately being forced into a medical retirement.”
It would be a tough blow for Bosh’s career. The 32-year-old was in the midst of an excellent season with the Heat before blood clots forced him out of action on Feb. 9. Since being sidelined, Bosh wanted to return to help Miami in the playoffs, but couldn’t. Not being able to play again would be a significant blow, though he would would still receive all of the money remaining on his contract.
The Heat still owe Bosh more than $75 million over the next three seasons. As Windhorst notes, Miami does have an insurance policy which would cover some of the contract and could clear his contract off their salary cap after the 2016-17 season. Still, Pat Riley would love to see Bosh back on the court, especially considering Dwyane Wade found an extra step in the playoffs and Hassan Whiteside has turned into a much-needed franchise player. Bringing Bosh back into the fold would give Miami a good core next season.
According to the Miami Herald, Bosh sought opinions from doctors about whether he could return to action. He even reportedly found a doctor who was willing to clear him to play. The Heat shut down the opinion, as their team doctor’s determined Bosh wasn’t fit to go. Bosh and the Heat organization seem to disagree about his long-term health.
However, a user on Twitter tweeted Dan LeBatard got a text saying Bosh will play next season.
LeBatard just got a text from Heat source and reported that the Heat expect Bosh to play next season
— alex toledo (@tropicalblanket) May 16, 2016
Given Bosh’s medical history, it’s hard to believe he’d be cleared this soon. But hopefully, he’s back on the court soon. Bosh is a great player and personality in the league. Without him, the Heat would be in a tough position with their frontcourt.
