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Former Heat Bedrock Gets Real About ‘Death’ Of Career

Former Miami Heat star Chris Bosh

When people talk about forgotten players, Chris Bosh is rarely mentioned. Perhaps it’s too early, as his last NBA game was less than a decade ago. However, for one night at least, Bosh got to return to the court.

With former Miami Heat star Goran Dragic hosting a special exhibition game, the 40-year-old took part in his friend’s farewell event.

Former Heat Bedrock Chris Bosh Gets Real About ‘Death’ Of Career

Afterwards, Bosh spoke about his forced retirement, telling BasketNews’ Mindaugus Bertys that “it was very tough. It’s pretty much – it was the death of my career, to be honest.”

“Any time dealing with loss and death and stuff like that, you go through grief,” he adds. “And I had to do that for a few years, but I got over it.”

“I believe it made me stronger and it made focus on being more of a father.”

Despite a bitter ending, he looks back on his NBA days fondly. Asked what his biggest regret of his career is, Bosh says: “I don’t have any. Yeah, I don’t have a regret.”

“It all went good,” he continues. “A couple of championships. Got to meet some great people, have some great teammates, great stories, great locker rooms. I’m a lucky guy.”

A Shakespearean Tale

Frankly, after Bosh signed with the Heat, it seemed like he stopped receiving his just due. Selected fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the famed 2003 NBA Draft, the Dallas native became a perennial All-Star in the North. A skilled faceup forward who played tenacious defense, Bosh averaged 22.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in his first five All-Star seasons.

Nobody knew at the time that Bosh had bigger plans.

Leaving Toronto as the all-time leader in points, rebounds, and blocks, he made the infamous decision to join the Miami Heat with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. In his first four seasons with the team, Bosh won three championships, playing an integral but misunderstood role. He wasn’t scoring like he used to due to James and Wade’s ball-dominance. However, he was an athletic center who stretched the floor, clearing the paint for James and Wade.

Bosh averaged 17.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game in that time. While those aren’t pedestrian numbers, they certainly didn’t match his production with the Raptors.

Fortunately for Bosh, he was able to revive his reputation when Wade declined and James left. Unfortunately, his time back in the driver seat was short-lived. In Jun. 2017, the big man’s blood clotting condition was ruled to be a career-ending illness, per ESPN. He hadn’t played a game since Feb. 2016, and failed a team physical that September.

Notably, in Feb. 2015, Bosh was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to his blood-clotting condition. The then 30-year-old had recently checked into a hospital after noticing “pain in his leg that later moved up to his rib,” according to CNN’s Jill Martin.

“The diagnosis: blood clots, which had reached one of his lungs. If it had gone untreated, it could have been fatal.”

Ultimately, the writing was on the wall long before Bosh officially announced his retirement in Feb. 2019. Nonetheless, his career is a tragic story only Shakespeare would have imagined.

Quenton S Albertie

Quenton S Albertie

Quenton Albertie, a native of Ft. Hood, TX, is a credentialed media member with work featured on SLAM Magazine, Sports Illustrated, USA TODAY and other major publications. Currently residing in Atlanta, GA, Albertie’s favorite teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Broncos.

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