Bosh vows to defy odds and play on
Recurring blood clots plague former Raptor
TORONTO• Michael Jordan made a comeback after retirement in 1995. Sidney Crosby bounced back to lead his team to a Stanley Cup after missing most of the previous season with a concussion. Chris Bosh now hopes to do the same, but the NBA star’s chances appear slim.
Bosh said last week he had only “memories left” with the Miami Heat after failing his pre-season physical. Days earlier, Heat president Pat Riley announced that Bosh’s career is likely over.
Yet Bosh remains hopeful he will return to the NBA — possibly through a trade. “My career’s not done ... there’s 29 other teams (in the NBA),” he said confidently on a podcast last month.
Bosh disclosed on the pod- cast he had suffered a clot in his lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, in February, 2015, and a clot in his leg, also known as a deep- vein thrombosis, just before the all- star weekend in Toronto in February of this year.
Deep vein thromboses and pulmonary emboli have struck a number of highprofile athletes. And they can sometimes be fatal. In the NBA, Jerome Kersey died from a VTE in his lungs last year. Former Houston Rocket Hakeem Olajuwon was treated for a VTE in his legs in 2001, while Anderson Varejao (when he played for the Cavaliers) and Mirza Teletovic (while he was with the Nets) were diagnosed with lung VTEs. In the NFL, Jason Pinkston of the Cleveland Browns had two VTEs, forcing him into early retirement in 2014.
In the NHL, To mas Fleischmann, Kimmo Timonen, Jed Ortmeyer and Pascal Dupuis all suffered at least two VTEs each. All except Fleischmann were forced to retire. Female athletes also have been victims, including figure skater Tara Lipinski and tennis star Serena Williams. Both continued to compete after treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that VTEs strike roughly one in every 1,000 people. More than half of deep-vein thromboses can progress to a pulmonary embolism, typically fatal in one of every four cases.
“The most common symptoms of VTE — leg swelling, painful calf, shortness of breath and chest pain — may be missed by athletes, who may become accustomed to associating these things with normal exertion during a game,” says Dr. Martina Trinkaus, a hematologist in Toronto. “We don’t have clear data around the prevalence of VTE in athletes, as some are reluctant to disclose it for fear of not being able to play, but we know that prolonged immobility, such as long flights, is a risk factor.”
VTEs are typically treated with blood- thinners — normally in the form of direct oral anticoagulants. Bosh was treated with anticoagulants after his first clot in 2015. These medications interfere with the body’s ability to clot. This means that bruises and cuts may take longer to heal. It also means traumatic injuries — such as a blow to the head — can lead to severe bleeding in the brain, which could be fatal.
Dr. Kerstin de Wit, an emergency physician at McMaster University who researches VTEs, says that “typically, if an individual has had two thrombotic events, assuming they are both ‘ unprovoked’ (meaning no obvious cause related to things like surgery or cancer) they will need to remain on long-term anticoagulation.”
The bottom line for Bosh is that he has had recurrent VTEs. Bosh could thus be putting his life on the line if he continues to play. It’s doubtful any NBA team would want to risk having him on its roster.
On the podcast, Bosh was adamant: “I will play basketball ( again) in the NBA. I’m confident.”
Now, he seems even more sure of a comeback, naming his personal documentary series “Rebuilt.” He might be wiser to work on rebuilding his health.