Chris Bosh on initial chest pains: 'I did not pay attention to it'
Chris Bosh's blood clot issue was something he admits he should have paid more attention to.
By
Zach Harper
•
2 min read
Right after the trade deadline was over and the Miami Heat were excited about their new acquisition of Goran Dragic to pair with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the team found themselves in a very scary scenario. Bosh was headed for the hospital for tests to determine the cause of his shortness of breath and shooting pains in his chest. Any person will have a fear of feeling that kind of discomfort, and there were brief moments in which people feared it was a life-threatening situation for Bosh.
He had a blood clot in his left lung, and it immediately ended his season. Thankfully, it didn't end up being life-threatening and he's going to be back on the court for the Heat this coming season. But in an interview with "Boomer and Carton" on CBS Sports Radio, Bosh admitted he didn't pay attention to initial shooting pains and shortness of breath because he wanted to keep going out there and competing.
Carton: "Can you just walk us through that two or three-week period where we were just getting news reports -- I don't know how accurate or not? Did you come close to dying?"
Bosh: "Well, I guess. I had a pulmonary embolism -- a blood clot in my left lung. I had the shortness of breath. I had the shooting pains. I did not pay attention to it. I should've called my doctor right off the bat. My wife still gives me a hard time about it, but Boomer, you know how it is. You're an athlete and you just say, 'Hey, I'm going to go out there. I'm going to keep playing. I can't let my team and the fans down.'"
When it comes to basketball players and issues with the chest, immediately the thought is the passing of Hank Gathers or Reggie Lewis. The worst-case scenario is a sobering reminder of just how easily everything can be taken away from anybody. Fortunately, Bosh was able to recover from the blood clot and will still get to do what he loves by getting to play basketball for a living. More importantly, he gets to remain a devoted father and husband to his family.
Bosh will enter his 13th season in what has likely become a Hall of Fame worthy career. And the Heat will get to renew their halted excitement about the prospect of having Dragic, Wade, and Bosh on the court together.
