Bosh, Heat Clashed Over Blood Thinners

Chris Bosh suggested a way that he could play this year while taking blood thinners, but the Heat rejected it, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Bosh, who was sidelined from the All-Star break through the end of the season after doctors discovered blood clots in his calf, wanted to take the medication early in the day so it would be out of his bloodstream by game time.

A source told Jackson that the substance left Bosh’s body 8 to 12 hours after he took it, but Heat doctors weren’t convinced the plan was safe and the team turned down the idea. Blood thinners are considered dangerous for athletes because they can lead to excessive bleeding if a player gets cut or can cause internal bleeding if he’s involved in a hard fall or collision.

U-Health cardiologist Robert Myerburg said some newly introduced blood thinners can exit the body in 12 hours or less, but he told Jackson he doesn’t believe it would have been safe for Bosh to play. “I would not use that strategy,” Myerburg said. “There’s too much at risk. The drug being out of the system is not what worries me as much as the unprotected time,” especially if an area with past clotting is subjected to trauma. None of the doctors involved with Bosh or the Heat has commented publicly.

Bosh has three years and close to $76MM left on the maximum deal he signed in 2014. There have been reports that the Heat fear Bosh will never be medically cleared to play again, but Jackson writes that both he and the team are optimistic about a return next season.