In this Feb. 3, 2015, file photo, Miami Heat center Chris Bosh passes around the defense of Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe during an NBA basketball game in Auburn Hills, Mich. Bosh underwent testing at a hospital Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, to assess a medical issue related to the area around his lungs, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. Bosh and the team were expecting to have a better grasp of the situation Friday, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor the team had disclosed any specifics publicly. AP
MIAMI, United States — All-Star forward Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat will miss at least the remainder of the NBA season because of blood clots on one of his lungs.
The problem, if it had not been caught, could have killed the 30-year-old Bosh, who had been fighting pain in his side and back for several days.
The team said on Saturday that Bosh “is receiving care under the guidance of Miami Heat team physicians” at a hospital, adding that “his prognosis is good.”
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra pauses as he talks to reporters on the condition of Heat’s forward Chris Bosh in Miami, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. The All-Star forward Bosh will miss at least the remainder of the NBA basketball season because of blood clots on one of his lungs. AP
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sounded upbeat about Bosh’s recovery. The team received the news on Saturday, Spoelstra said, and welcomed the clarity after a frightening couple of days.
“His health will be restored,” Spoelstra said before Miami played host to New Orleans. “That’s the most important thing. That’s bigger than basketball.”
Spoelstra and Heat guard Dwyane Wade visited Bosh on Saturday.
“It’s been very emotional for all of us,” Spoelstra said. “I was in constant contact with CB. But he didn’t know either until they were able to go through all the tests and see all the specialists. … I can’t imagine how tough it was for Chris and (his wife) Adrienne.”
Bosh is the second NBA player whose final game this season was the All-Star Game. New York’s Carmelo Anthony was shut down for knee surgery this week, a move that was long expected.
Bosh’s situation was anything but. It was nothing short of a shock to the Heat, who entered Saturday with a 23-30 record and holding onto the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Losing him becomes the latest — and by far the biggest — blow in a season filled with tumult for the Heat, reminiscent in some ways to when All-Star center Alonzo Mourning was forced to miss most of the 2000-01 season because of a kidney disease that eventually necessitated a transplant.
Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7 rebounds for the Heat this season, his first in a five-year deal signed this past summer that will pay him $118 million.
Bosh was part of the ballyhooed free-agent haul Miami landed in 2010, when he and LeBron James were brought in to play alongside Wade and form one of the most star-studded trios in league history.
They were together for four seasons, the breakup coming this past summer when James elected to go back to Cleveland. They went to the NBA Finals four times, winning two.
In cases like these, it’s common for the clots to have worked their way from the legs to the lungs, a dangerous occurrence. Just days ago, such a medical event led to the sudden death of former NBA star Jerome Kersey, who was only 52 and showed no signs of trouble.
Last month, Brooklyn forward Mirza Teletovic was ruled out for the season once clots were found on his lungs. Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao went through a similar situation and missed most of the 2012-13 season.
Many athletes have dealt with clots and eventually returned, some better than ever. But the road to recovery is often long, starting with blood-thinning medication being prescribed — and those on that typically have to clear many hurdles before they can resume regular activity.
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