Chris Bosh said that he “almost dropped dead” from a blood clot in January and urged Victor Wembanyama to stay on top of his condition.
The Basketball Hall of Famer whose NBA career was cut short due to blood clots made the revelation in an interview with Hoops Hype that was published Monday.
“I had an episode in January,” Bosh told Hoops Hype. “I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I’m not joking.
“Yeah. I had another pulmonary embolism. It was in January. Yeah, yeah, this past year. I was in the hospital for a week. But, take your medicine. So, I’m taking my medicine every day, taking care of myself every day, and watching it. So, I mean, no symptoms came either, you know, so.”
Bosh also offered advice for Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs star whose 2024-25 NBA season was cut short due to a blood clot.
“Take your medicine,” Bosh said. “Make sure that he’s staying on top of his regimen to make sure that doesn’t happen again because it only takes one more time.
“It happened one more time for me, it happened twice, and I couldn’t play anymore.”
Wembanyama returned from his blood clot to play 64 games last season and lead the Spurs to the Western Conference championship and a trip to the NBA Finals. He was an MVP finalist and named Defensive Player of the Year in his third NBA season.
Bosh’s battle with blood clots
Bosh, 42, suffered two blood clots during his playing career that included 11 All-Star appearances and two NBA championships with the Miami Heat while playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. He initially had a blood clot in February 2015 that moved from his leg into his lung, a life-threatening condition known as a pulmonary embolism. That forced him to miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season.
Bosh then quit basketball for good in 2016 at 31 years old when a second blood clot prompted Heat doctors to warn him that his basketball career was likely over. He attempted to come back but failed a physical with the Heat ahead of the 2016-17 season. He officially retired from basketball in 2019 following failed efforts to return to the game.
Bosh previously revealed in a social media post in February that he “woke up covered in my own blood” during a medical scare “that made me really have a different outlook on life.”
He did not reveal at the time that he’d been diagnosed with another blood clot.
Bosh said in his interview with Hoops Hype that he’s realized that his struggle with blood clots is a life-long battle.
“Yeah, you got to deal with it for the rest of your life,” Bosh said. “I thought I was past it. I am not. So, you know, it’s just making sure I stay on top of my regimen.”
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