Former Miami Heat player Chris Bosh had career cut short because of blood clots
Former Miami Heat All-Star Chris Bosh is one of the biggest "what-ifs" in NBA history.
Sure, Bosh won two titles while playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the early 2010s. He also earned a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Still, Bosh can't help but think about what could have been. His career was cut short in 2019 when he was forced to retire at 31 because of recurring blood clots.
"It was tough because I was in good shape," Bosh said during an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with former NBA player Matt Barnes. "I mean, me and Pat, we talked about it. We had a squad. I felt, not to say that we were going to win it all, but we could've competed for a championship."
The Heat were a year removed from the LeBron era when Bosh was first diagnosed during All-Star Weekend in 2015. He returned the next year but never played another game after 2016.
Bosh said one of his goals was winning a title without James.
"I was so mad and frustrated" Bosh said. "All those guys that we were talking about earlier I wanted to be like them. A 13-year career, is kind of like bottom-tier. I wanted to establish myself in the record books. I wanted to establish myself without `Bron, to be honest with you. We wanted to win without him. I think it's something to say Shaq won without Kobe, Kobe won without Shaq. I wanted to put myself in that category and on that pedestal. I wanted to help (Wade) get back to that status as well."
Bosh still had a successful career. His first seven years with the Toronto Raptors helped solidify a strong showing.
"We were very, very confident," Bosh said. "It just wans't meant to be ... Me and my man Maverick Carter was talking and I said, `Man, it didn't happen the way it's supposed to happen. He said, `It never happens the way it's supposed to happen ... I feel like I got a way with enough because people have died for way less."'
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com