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Miami Heat: Pat Riley Made The Humane Decision On Chris Bosh

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) looks to pass during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) looks to pass during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Miami Heat team president Pat Riley has made a controversial decision on Chris Bosh’s future with the team. It was the only humane decision.

It’s never easy to see an NBA career come to an end. Every athlete in the Association has dedicated their life to becoming a professional basketball player, and for most, that started during their adolescent years.

When someone is forced to stop doing what they’ve dedicated the vast majority of their life to, it’s easy to sympathize with the individual being forced out of their career.

In the heartbreaking case of Miami Heat star Chris Bosh, this decision is entirely out of his hands. The Heat as an organization are refusing to move forward with his comeback bid.

According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, Riley stated that Bosh’s Heat career is, “Probably over.”

"“We are not,” Riley said in his office at AmericanAirlines Arena. “I think Chris is still open-minded. But we are not working toward his return.”“We feel that, based on the last exam, that his Heat career is probably over.”"

That inevitably rubbed many around the NBA the wrong way.

Bosh has been forced to miss significant time over each of the past two seasons. Both of those extended absences were the result of an injury that goes beyond the basics of a sprain, fracture, break, or tear.

Bosh had a blood clot in one of his lungs in 2014-15, and again experienced trouble with blood clots in 2015-16, when one was discovered in his leg.

Bosh was pushing to participate in training camp in 2016, but he recently failed a physical. That was the last red flag that Riley and the Heat could attempt to overlook.

Bosh may not be happy with Riley’s decision, but this is bigger than basketball; it’s a matter of life and death.

Blood clots aren’t something that will simply cause you to miss time and endure rehabilitation for an injury. They’re life-threatening issues in which blood coagulates, which could potentially result in a pulmonary embolism, amongst other outcomes.

Rather than allowing Bosh the player to excel, Riley is caring more for Bosh the human being.

Keep in mind, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was on the court when Hank Gathers tragically died in 1990. It was a terrifying moment that has since been revealed to be the result of the improper handling of his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Bosh and Gathers aren’t in identical situations, but is a sport really worth risking a human being’s life for?

Riley made a decision that few could process without actually being in his shoes. In the face of adversity, he prioritized Bosh’s life over Bosh’s career.

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That’s the only humane decision he could’ve possibly made.

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