It’s been three years since Chris Bosh last appeared in an NBA game, when just before the All-Star break in 2016 doctors discovered blood clots in Bosh’s body for the second time. The Miami Heat officially released Bosh in July of 2017, partially to clear salary cap space, partially because they believed Bosh’s blood clotting was a career-ending injury.
Bosh continued to fight to return to the NBA after his release, and expressed his desire to resume his career as recently as last February. But with no NBA teams willing to bite, Bosh announced on The Bill Simmons Podcast that he’s officially retiring from basketball.
“Me knowing that that part of my life is over, that has been a tough thing to deal with, but I’m good,” Bosh said. “That time has passed. I’ve made the decision not to pursue it anymore.”
Bosh maintains that the second instance of blood clots being found in his leg was much less severe than people made it out to be (he says he didn’t even go to the hospital) and that he was healthy enough return to the court and help push the Heat, who lost in seven games to the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2016 Eastern Conference Playoffs, take on the Cavs and his former teammate LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat wouldn’t allow it.
Bosh, now 34 years old, even joked that the offensive revolution the NBA has undergone since his absence could’ve allowed him to play the stretch five position until he was 40.
“All you gotta do is play offense, you don’t even have to play defense!” Bosh said. “That’s the best part. I can mosey back on defense, I don’t really have to try that hard on defense. I could’ve kept playing!”
The Heat are set to officially retire Bosh’s jersey on March 26, just the fourth jersey to be retired by the franchise.
