Chris Bosh enjoyed a 13-year career in the NBA, but it could have been much longer. Selected by the Toronto Raptors with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, behind only LeBron James, Darko Miličić, and Carmelo Anthony, Bosh lived up to the bill of being a lottery pick. Heat legend Chris Bosh opened up on how blood clots cut his career shotGettyIn his first seven seasons in the league, Bosh remained relatively healthy and available, playing no fewer than 67 games in an 82-game season. After averaging 20.2 points per game shooting at a 49.2 percent clip, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, Bosh ultimately decided to leave Canada in free agency.He went on to become part of the ‘big three’ at the Miami Heat alongside James and Dwyane Wade, signing a six-year, $110 million contract to move to South Beach.It would be a move that would pay significant dividends, with the Heat winning back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. In six seasons with the Heat, Bosh averaged 18 points per game, shooting 49.6 percent of the field, with 7.3 rebounds and just shy of a block per game. But in Miami, he also dealt with some health issues, with his 2014-15 campaign cut short to just 44 games after he was diagnosed with a blood clot on one of his lungs.Bosh made his return to the hardwood in October of that year, but would be diagnosed with another blood clot – this time to his leg – forced him to miss time after the All-Star break in 2016. He attempted to make another comeback for the 2016-17 season, but continued issues with blood clotting ultimately made it too dangerous, cutting his career short. He retired at the age of 31, though would go on to be named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021, alongside Paul Pierce, Chris Webber, Ben Wallace, and Toni Kukoč.Now 42 years old, Bosh still has basketball at the center of his life.Bosh was part of the Heat team that won back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013GettyBosh opened up about how he almost died at the start of 2026GettyDuring a recent charity 3×3 basketball event in Ladera Ranch, on behalf of USA Basketball, Bosh spoke candidly about how blood clots ended his playing career, which almost led to his death in January 2026 when he was taken unwell in his home. “I had an episode in January. I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I’m not joking,” Bosh revealed. “I had another pulmonary embolism. It was in January 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.“You got to deal with it for the rest of your life. I thought I was past it. I am not. So, it’s just making sure I stay on top of my regimen.”Advice to WembanyamaBosh isn’t the only NBA player who has dealt with blood clotting.There was concern around generational talent Victor Wembanyama when his sophomore campaign in the Association was cut short after 46 games when it was revealed that he had a blood clot in his shoulder.Wembanyama was forced to miss the second half of the 2024-25 season due to a blood clotGetty“There are biological reasons that might make one’s blood more prone to clot,” Dr. Jonathan Reiner told NBA.com in February 2025.“And there might be mechanical reasons, particularly in the shoulder of an NBA athlete. Someone who’s jamming the basketball violently. There’s obviously a lot of contact and collision. Those are the kinds of things that might damage a vein.”Fortunately, the San Antonio Spurs star was cleared to return for the 2025-26 campaign, where he led his team all the way to the NBA Finals – the team’s first appearance since they won the title in 2014. But after first-hand experience and learning the hard way, Bosh had some advice for Wembanyama, who at 21-years-old is already considered one of the very best players in the NBA. “Take your medicine,” Bosh advised. “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.“So I guess with him, just making sure he does everything necessary to keep that blood as thin as possible and take care of that body off the court.”