John Askins
Staff Writer
As many basketball fans may know, superstar forward Chris Bosh’s career with the Miami Heat, and possibly the NBA, has come to an end. Bosh has battled issues with his blood in the past three years, including clots in both of his legs that have caused him to miss large portions of the past two seasons. These clots have a possibility of breaking free and travelling to a critical area such as his lungs or heart, which would likely be fatal. Bosh is forced to take blood thinners to combat this condition, which in turn makes him extra vulnerable to even the smallest of cuts, since his blood cannot coagulate and stop the bleeding. This is the same condition that caused former Trail Blazers star Jerome Kersey to lose his life earlier this year. Kersey had a clot in his right calf, which eventually moved into his lung, and caused his premature death. Kersey’s tragic story highlights just how serious Bosh’s condition is: a matter of life and death. Bosh failed his physical with the Miami Heat last Friday, which means that he cannot play basketball with the Heat organization this season, and Team President Pat Riley went as far as to say that Bosh’s career with the Heat is over.
Staff Writer
As many basketball fans may know, superstar forward Chris Bosh’s career with the Miami Heat, and possibly the NBA, has come to an end. Bosh has battled issues with his blood in the past three years, including clots in both of his legs that have caused him to miss large portions of the past two seasons. These clots have a possibility of breaking free and travelling to a critical area such as his lungs or heart, which would likely be fatal. Bosh is forced to take blood thinners to combat this condition, which in turn makes him extra vulnerable to even the smallest of cuts, since his blood cannot coagulate and stop the bleeding. This is the same condition that caused former Trail Blazers star Jerome Kersey to lose his life earlier this year. Kersey had a clot in his right calf, which eventually moved into his lung, and caused his premature death. Kersey’s tragic story highlights just how serious Bosh’s condition is: a matter of life and death. Bosh failed his physical with the Miami Heat last Friday, which means that he cannot play basketball with the Heat organization this season, and Team President Pat Riley went as far as to say that Bosh’s career with the Heat is over. 
A deciding factor behind the decision to sit Bosh likely stems from a personal experience that head coach Erik Spoelstra endured while playing college basketball for the University of Portland in 1990. Loyola Marymount University was a powerhouse that year, compiling a 26-5 record thanks in large to power forward Hank Gathers. Gathers was a supernatural athlete, possessing the strength and athleticism to dominate the position at just 6’7”. However, he suffered from an irregular heartbeat, among other vascular problems. Portland was set to play LMU for a bid to the NCAA Tournament on March 4th, 1990, a game which garnered national attention and a packed house. Gathers had been dominating the game early, and with 13:34 left in the 1st half he went up high to stuff an alley-oop jam. After scoring, he ran back on defense, then collapsed on the court. Gathers was announced dead that evening, shocking the world; especially Erik Spoelstra, who was a mere 6 feet away from Gathers when the incident occurred. Spoelstra says that the image still haunts him, and it is very possible that this experience is playing into the Heat’s decision to take the cautious route with Bosh and not allow him to risk it all by continuing to play.
Chris Bosh is one of the most sincere and personable players in the NBA, which is why it is such a tragedy that he is faced with these circumstances. Since being selected with the 4th pick in the epic 2003 NBA Draft that featured the likes of Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Bosh himself, he has been an emphatic player and genuine person. Getting to know him, his passion for computer science, and witnessing his goofy antics on the sidelines has made the basketball world fall in love with him. His early days with the Toronto Raptors saw him rise to be one of this era’s greats, as he churned out 20-10 double-doubles for 7 years on his way to 5 All-Star game appearances and an All-NBA 2nd Team selection. The next 6 years were spent with the Miami Heat, where he tacked on 6 more All-Star appearances and 2 NBA Championships, while being an integral part of one of the most talented teams in NBA history. Even when Lebron James and his posse packed it up and headed for Cleveland, Bosh signed a new 5-yr deal with Miami, which would cement him in the upper echelon of Miami Heat basketball forever. Bosh has played with a tenacity and passion that will surely put him in the Hall Of Fame conversation when the time comes.
While we are all hoping to see Bosh in a Miami Heat jersey again, his well-being is the primary objective. Above all, I sincerely hope that he can recover in full and live a long and prosperous life. But I’m gonna miss that pretty left-handed jumper.
Get well soon Bosh.
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