NBA Hall of Famer and Miami Heat legend Chris Bosh said he’s “lucky to be alive” after a recent health scare. Bosh revealed Wednesday in a video posted to social media that he woke up covered in his own blood. Bosh, who is still recovering from the ordeal, said the incident occurred when he was getting ready for a date with his wife.
“Next thing you know, I was on the ground,” Bosh said.
Bosh doesn’t remember anything other than waking up covered in his own blood. He declined to offer specifics about what exactly caused the medical event, but did go into further detail on his Substack, “The Last Chip.”
“I was walking from my closet into the bathroom, getting ready for an evening out, when my body turned on me,” Bosh wrote. “A numbing sensation shot down my left leg, that sharp, electric feeling you get when you bump your funny bone. Before I knew it, I was on the floor. I slowly came to in a pool of my own blood while my wife frantically spoke with 911. I tried to move my body the way I always had, and it didn’t respond.”
Bosh explained how the “terrifying” moment helped change his outlook on life.
“After coming back from the darkness, there was no euphoric clarity,” Bosh wrote. “… What did change was an immediate outlook on life that was simpler and more honest.”
Bosh retired from the NBA in 2019 after not having played since 2016 due to another health-related issue. Bosh suffered from recurring blood clots that cut his career short. It was first discovered in 2015, when a blood clot that started in his leg and traveled to one of his lungs ended his season after just 44 games. He returned the following season (2015-16), but a second blood clot was found, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season after playing 53 games.
After several medical evaluations, Heat team doctors failed Bosh on his physical ahead of the 2016-17 decision despite his desire to play. It was determined that it would be too dangerous for him to continue his basketball career. He retired at 31, having won two championships with the Heat and earning 11 All-Star selections. In 2019, the Heat retired his jersey after playing six of his 13 years with the team. Bosh was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Bosh said he’s “lucky to be alive” and plans to use this moment to share his experiences with others.
“This experience motivated me to start writing again, to share my experiences and stories in the hope that we can get something out of it and grow together,” Bosh wrote.
