A second blood clot was discovered in Chris Bosh‘s leg last season, leading team doctors to tell him that his career was likely over. However, the 32-year-old has been fighting the diagnosis since last winter, as Bosh discusses in a documentary on Uninterrupted.com (h/t to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com).
“[The Heat’s doctors] told me that my season is over, my career is probably over and this just happens, this is just how it is,” Bosh said. “I felt right away that I was written off. It was [claps his hands together] put it to the side matter-of-factly. If a doctor tells me, ‘Hey that’s it and this is how that is,’ and I don’t buy that. I have the right to disagree with you.”
Bosh firmly believes he has the ability to play again. “It wasn’t a matter of if I play again; it was when. So we took the bull by the horns,” he said. Last week, Bosh said that he has not yet been cleared by team doctors, but he has reportedly consulted numerous physicians for opinions on treatment and he believes he has found a medication regimen that will allow him to play. The team has not addressed Bosh’s statements.
Sources tell Windhorst that the Heat are not yet comfortable with clearing him to play long-term. If Bosh is not cleared by the team to play this season, he is expected to take the issue to the NBA Players Association, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. Bosh has three years and about $75.9MM left on his contract. His salary is guaranteed, but that figure could possibly come off of Miami’s future cap sheet if an independent doctor rules that he has become disabled. The team would not be eligible for cap relief during the 2017/18 campaign if he plays in more than nine games during this upcoming season.
According to one source, the team has “more optimism” that Bosh could play again at this point than it had at any point last year. Miami plans on welcoming him to join the team in training camp. Still, Bosh doesn’t consider his situation with the team resolved, Windhorst hears. Sources told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that there is no timetable for a resolution.
Windhorst describes the situation between Bosh and the team as “somewhat of a standoff” since the spring. Toward the end of last season, Bosh announced through his own public relations firm that he was planning on returning to the court. Ultimately, the player’s union pressured the two sides to meet and find a resolution. The two parties decided that Bosh would be declared out for the year and they would reassess the situation prior to training camp.
The Heat will open training camp on September 27th. The power forward is expected to partake in a Facebook live chat with Maverick Carter on Wednesday. Be sure to check Hoops Rumors for the latest on Bosh’s status with the team.
From what Bosh says it appears the Heat doctors are convinced he is at high risk of recurrance of blood clots. With two prior instances of clots in one years time there is ample precedence in medical history for such a diagnosis. Still he insists on playing but hasn’t mentioned accepting all the risk himself by providing the Heat organization, the Heat doctors and the NBA a hold harmless and full waiver of liability in the event of a clot that could result in severe harm or even death. Even with that it is not clear Bosh would agree to an “independent” physician rendering a binding verdict on the matter as prvoided in the league CBA. Even if he could get a favorable independent doctors opinion he, like all players, has to pass a physical at the start of camp. It seems the Heat are waiting until that point to make a decision on the assumption that if he is engaging in intense physical workouts on his own, as most players are, they might as well wait to see if a clot reoccur before that point, and if not, make a decision at that time. I’m sure the Heat is maintainin silence on the matter because “anything you say may be used against you in a court of law.”