The Miami Heat suffered a big blow when they found out that Chris Bosh was dealing with blood clots for the second consecutive season. When it was revealed that Bosh had a blood clot issue again, many people assumed that he was done for the year, but Bosh wants to play again. Bosh has not played since before the All-Star break, and the Heat continue to explore their options regarding whether he can get back on the floor, according to Tim Reynolds of NBA.com.
Bosh missed the final 30 games of last season due to a blood clot issue. Last season, one of the clots travelled to his lungs, which made it more serious. This year, the clots seem to be just in his leg, which, while still very serious, isn't as serious. Bosh hasn't said much since being out, but Heat President Pat Riley did speak on the issue at hand.
"There really isn't anything to say about that right now, as they are continuing to find ways and explore options. That's probably the best way to deal with it," said Riley.
Bosh has not been given an official timetable for a return, as he is on blood thinners and athletes are not supposed to play while on those. The 31-year-old forward has been able to shoot around, according to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post, but that's all he has been able to do. Despite the lack of timetable, Dwyane Wade remains optimistic that Bosh will get back on the floor this season, according to Michael Wallace of ESPN.
Bosh has been facing "mounting pressure" recently to sit out the season, as this issue goes beyond basketball and could be life threatening. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that he met with team officials on Wednesday night to get closer to making an official decision. It's two days later now, and no official decision has been made, but it is clear that the Heat are taking this very seriously.
Odds are that the Heat will err on the side of caution and keep Bosh out for the rest of the season, unless he gets a clean bill of health from the doctors. Yes, the Heat are in the middle of a playoff chase and have the talent to be able to compete for a title (which Bosh is a major part of), but his life could be at stake here, so they need to think in his best interest, and it looks as though they will do so.
