Pat Riley says Chris Bosh's 'Heat career is probably over'
For a condition and crisis that has been in play for over 19 months, this all feels so sadly swift and distressing.
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Miami Heat president Pat Riley confirmed on Monday morning that Chris Bosh’s career with the Heat, in Riley’s estimation, is likely over. Bosh, who missed the latter half of the last two seasons due to complications stemming from a series of blood clots, failed a physical administered by the Heat last week.
Though the 32-year old vowed to soldier on despite the setback via social media soon after, the Heat franchise appears to have moved on. From the Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman:
“ […] we are not working toward his return.
“We feel that, based on the last exam, that his Heat career is probably over.”
Asked if he felt Bosh’s NBA career was over, as well, Riley said, “that’s up to him.”
[…]
“It’s pretty definitive from us, in our standpoint, that this is probably going to be a time where we really have to step back,” Riley said.
The longtime Heat president, who signed Bosh in 2010 and again in 2014 to a five-year, $118 million contract, went on to say that when given the “health, playing, and economics” considerations to deal with, Chris’ “health, health, health” is of paramount importance.
Starting on Feb. 9 (after an “unfit to play” designation from an NBA-chosen medical professional), the Heat would be in line to knock off the final three years and nearly $76 million off of the remainder of his contract, but Riley promises that this isn’t even a consideration point for the Heat in the interim:
“Whatever the cap ramifications are, they are there, but we never ever thought about that.”
The good news is that Chris Bosh has over four months to consider the option of tempting another team to clear him to play, as he’s already stated that he owns “the right to disagree” with doctors that have told him his career is over.
The sad news is that, to Pat Riley’s on record comments, it appears as if Chris Bosh has played his last game with the Miami Heat.
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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!