Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat appear headed for a strained relationship, as Miami readies for Game 1 against the Toronto Raptors tonight. Bosh hasn't played since early February, when he was forced out due to a recurrence of the blood clots that cut short his 2014-15 season. There are any number of concerns associated with blood clots, including the clots moving into his lungs as they did last year. While the worst case scenario—pulmonary embolism—did not occur, it was enough to keep him off the courtFrom all accounts, it appears that the Heat genuinely seem to have Bosh's own well-being in mind, but Bosh says he feels better than he did last year. He doesn't think it's the same situation and has been increasingly vocal about his wish to get back on the court. In March, Bosh released a statement saying he hoped to play again this season and noted "My situation this year has never been life threatening. I am feeling great and currently I do not have deep vein thrombosis."Then, during the playoffs, he and his wife started wearing shirts that said #BringBoshBack. Through it all, the Heat have said Bosh is out indefinitely. Now, according to Dan Le Batard, Bosh wants the NBA Players Union to get involved. Here's Le Batard on his radio show, as transcribed by the Miami Herald:"It's a super unusual situation. I can't think of a lot of instances where a sports organization is acting in what appears to be the best interest of the player over their own interests and against the will of the player. From the people I'm talking to, Chris Bosh wants back on the court and now, and the Heat on medical advice are saying absolutely not…. They badly want to get to an Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron and they are telling him, 'No, you cannot work.'… "The Miami Heat and Chris Bosh are at a crossroads. There is a conflict here that promises to get a little bit messier. Now I'm hearing the Boshes want so badly on the court that they're trying to get the union involved. They found a doctor who might be willing to clear him…. For some reason, he thinks he's good to go and I think it's because he's not showing the symptoms he showed the first time. "He doesn't feel physically bad, even as doctors are telling him, 'Hey, a recurrence of blood clots can be catastrophic.' You could have a Hank Gathers situation, a die on the basketball court situation, that no waiver is protecting the league from or protecting the Miami Heat from….
Le Batard also mentions that Bosh has "scoured the globe" looking for a doctor and, finally, appears to have found one. That's not the greatest endorsement of one's overall fitness to play, and the Heat doctors disagree with Bosh's doctor. Adding to the concern is the question of whether Bosh is still using blood thinners, which would pose a problem if Bosh ever got nicked up on the court. It's hard to imagine the union being able to do anything about this situation other than working as a sort of mediator to calm down both sides.Now, Le Batard is based out of Miami and is presumably not blowing smoke, but it's clear whoever he is talking to is inside the Heat organization. That doesn't mean they are not being truthful, of course, but it's worth noting when you see a quote like "a sports organization acting in what appears to be the best interest of the player over their own interests." That is indeed "super unusual."But still, the worst case scenario, "Hank Gathers situation," would be not only a tragedy, but a colossal mess of liability and second guessing and finger pointing. It may not be entirely selfless on Miami's part, but they have clearly made the decision that the risk of further injury/illness to Bosh is not worth whatever he could provide to the team on the court, and Bosh disagrees with that assessment.Update 5/4/16: Well, now we have some closure on this story. The Miami Heat released a joint statement with Chris Bosh saying that Bosh will not play for the remainder of the 2016 postseason.
The Miami Heat release statement to announce Chris Bosh will not play this postseason. pic.twitter.com/CSH0zRZagk
— Jorge Sedano (@SedanoESPN) May 4, 2016
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