Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh will miss the remainder of the season due to blood clots in his lungs. The Heat announced the news on Feb. 21, after the team acquired All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic at the trade deadline.
The two-time NBA champion and ten-time NBA All-Star is receiving care from team doctors and physicians at Baptist Health South Florida Hospital in Miami. He has been diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, a form of deep vein thrombosis.
“He’s going to be on medication for a while that’s going to dictate he can’t play for a certain number of months, but he’ll be back at full strength,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Pulmonary embolism happens when a lodge of material becomes wedged into a selected artery in your lungs. The blood clots originate deep in the veins of the leg and can spread to other areas of the body.
Former NBA player Jerome Kersey died of deep vein thrombosis earlier this week, which is the root cause of pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots. In his case, the artery that connects to his lungs struggled to transport oxygen to the rest of his body.
Also, Brooklyn Nets forward Mirza Teletović has been shut down for the season due to blood clots.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ten to 30 percent of all people die within the first month of being diagnosed with blood clots. It is estimated that up to 600,000 people in America are affected by the disease each year.
“Thank you for all the messages, love, and support. It has truly lifted my spirits through this tough process,” Bosh said in an Instagram post.
Bosh has averaged 21.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a PER of 19.8 so far this season. He has been the focal point of the Heat offense, leading them in points and minutes.
The Heat have now lost Bosh and Josh McRoberts for the season due to injuries.
They also depleted their bench in a three-team trade involving the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans for Dragic by losing Danny Granger, Norris Cole, Justin Hamilton, Shawne Williams and two future first round draft picks.
“Chris knows that he has an extended family here,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “…going through something that can be very scary, it helps when you’re part of an organization and a community that is supporting him.”
According to nbcmiami.com, Bosh is expected to leave the hospital in a few days. The news is hopeful for his overall health, but his basketball career still remains to be up in the air.
There has been an outpour of support and get well wishes from the entire NBA community including from former teammate LeBron James.
“Man my heart real heavy right now thinking about @chrisbosh health! Especially after hearing about Kersey the other day. My prayers are out for u and your family my brother,” James tweeted in wake of hearing the news.
His teammate Udonis Haslem dealt with blood clots himself, during the 2010-2011 season.
He had treatment on the blood clots in his lung, after having foot surgery that year.Haslem returned that year, on the way to the Heat’s Finals run that ended with a series loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Currently, the Heat are 24-31 on the season. They are seventh in the Eastern Conference standings and only have a 1.5 game lead on the rest of the field.
