Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Bosh’s health is priority
Union rep not asked to intervene in reinstatement
TORONTO — Amar’e Stoudemire, the Miami Heat’s representative to the National Basketball Players Association, said Tuesday he has not been asked to intervene on behalf of Chris Bosh’s desire to be reinstated to the team’s active roster.
“For me, it’s whatever is the most feasible from a health standpoint,” Stoudemire told the Sun Sentinel, with Bosh sidelined since the mid-February All-Star break due to a recurrence of blood clots. “Obviously health, by far, supersedes anything else, if he’s able to maintain health and it’s OK for him to play.”
There have been conflicting opinions from Bosh and his camp and the Heat in that regard, according to a source familiar with the situation.
“We haven’t really spoken much about it at all,” Stoudemire said of his contact with the players’ association. “We’ve let the doctors handle that.”
Bosh joined his teammates on Tuesday for the start of the Heat’s NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Toronto Raptors.
Bosh, who last played Feb. 9, did not travel on Monday’s Heat team flight.
The Heat again said Tuesday there is no change with Bosh’s status of being inactive and out of uniform.
The Deadspin website reported that the National Basketball Players Association issued a statement that read, “Our top priority is Chris’ health and well-being. We have spoken to Chris and his agent, and have reached out to the Miami Heat. We are hopeful that all parties involved can meet as soon as possible to resolve the situation.”
Those “parties,” however, have met at least twice, with Bosh flying to Toronto on the same plane Tuesday as Heat owner Micky Arison, having made similar travel arrangements for the start of the first-round series against the Charlotte Hornets that the Heat completed with Sunday’s Game 7 rout at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“Our top priority is Chris’ health and wellbeing.” National Basketball Players Association
Bosh did not attend Tuesday’s morning shootaround at Air Canada Centre, after having been present at the Heat’s gameday shootarounds in Charlotte. Bosh was in the Heat locker room before Tuesday’s game and again was not made available for comment by the team.
A party familiar with the Heat’s training said Bosh has not practiced with the team since he was sidelined in February.
The previous time Bosh was in Toronto, he pulled out of the Feb. 14 NBA AllStar Game due to a calf strain, with blood clots diagnosed for the second consecutive season. Bosh missed the second half of the 2014-15 season due to blood clots.
The Heat have not formally announced the reason for Bosh’s absence, leaving that portion of their injury reports blank for the past two-plus months.
Bosh had traveled in both directions on the team plane for last Friday’s Game 6 victory in Charlotte.
Bosh has yet to comment publicly about his absence, but did post a Snapchat video last week of himself shooting 3-pointers in an otherwise empty AmericanAirlines Arena, with a caption, “I still got it.” At the same time, his wife, Adrienne Bosh, offered several posts on her Twitter account with the hashtag, “#BringBoshBack.”
Stoudemire said even as the team’s union advocate it is not a situation he feels comfortable addressing.
“I’m not a doctor. I’m not a physician,” he said. “I’m not sure what the requirements are.”
Health watch
Heat center Hassan
Whiteside estimated he went into the Raptors series with his bruised right thigh at about 85 percent, after injuring it midway through the Charlotte series. Guard Josh Richardson, who played Game 7 against the Hornets with a protective harness for a strained left shoulder, declined to offer a percentage with his injury.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t like math. I’m not big on percentages and stuff. I just know I can play.
“There’s still a little bit of pain with certain movements, but I can play through it. It’s nothing.” As for guard Tyler
Johnson, he said he still is working on his conditioning after playing Sunday for the first time since February shoulder surgery.
“It’s obviously not where I would want it to be,” he said of his conditioning, “but I don’t think it’s too far behind. I don’t think it’s anything that I can’t get back.”
Of Johnson being able to get on the court at the end of Sunday’s blowout victory, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I think that probably was a hurdle that he needed to get over.”