Bosh pens letter reminiscing his Heat career, thanks fans

Former Heat forward says he and his family experienced a lot of change during Miami tenure

MIAMI — Closure for the MiamiHeat came withTuesday’s announcement that Chris Bosh’sNo. 1 never would be worn again, eventually to be raised to the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena. Closure forBoshcamewith a Sunday “Letter to Miami” that acknowledged the end of his South Florida basketball journey.

In the piece posted at ChrisBosh.com, the Heat championship big man opened up about the illness that ended hisHeat career, releasedTuesday by the team in order to reclaim needed cap space to rebuild the roster. The emotional composition, however, did not address retirement from the game.

The essay “from the desk of Chris Bosh” opened, “Wow, what a ride!” It detailed the impact on Bosh’s seven seasons with the Heat and the influence of that experience on his family.

“I’ve been reflecting onmy time in this great city,” he wrote, “and want to thank you for being a constant during a period of change in my life.”

The period of change included being diagnosed with blood clots during the 2015 All-Star break and missing the second half of that season. He then was diagnosed with a relapse at the 2016 All-Star break, sidelined since.

It was after failing his team physical before this past season that the relationship between Bosh and the team became particularly strained, withHeatpresident Pat Riley announcing the team’s medical staff believed it no longer safe for Bosh to play again and Bosh firing back in a series of videos produced through LeBron James’ multimedia outlet.

But in Sunday’s piece, Bosh, 33, stressed an acceptance of the situation that previously had never truly been expressed.

“And then came not being able to play the game I love,” Bosh wrote, “the game that I’ve spent a lifetime working to master and evolve with and find success in. I was very upset for a long time. They say you just have to play the cards that you’re dealt and that’s another lesson I truly understand now.”

Alongside James and Dwyane Wade, Bosh appeared in fourNBA Finals, winning championships in