Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors legend Chris Bosh revealed in a recent interview that he had a near-death experience in January as he suffered a second pulmonary embolism in his life.
"I had an episode in January. I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I'm not joking. I had another pulmonary embolism. It was in January this past year. I was in the hospital for a week," the Hall of Famer said in an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype.
Bosh officially retired in 2019 having played limited games since his problems with blood clots started in 2015.
Chris Bosh reacts to LeBron James choosing 76ers over Heat
Chris Bosh admitted he was surprised that LeBron James did not return to the Miami Heat but believes the Philadelphia 76ers were still a strong destination for his former teammate.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh
Bosh had previously named Miami as the best fit for James, who instead joined a Philadelphia roster with championship ambitions.
"I'm surprised, but I'm not surprised," Bosh said. "That was just my best pick. I was like, 'If I'm doing something, I'm going to Miami,' if it was me. But Philly was a pretty good choice, too."
While the 76ers may possess enough talent on paper to compete for a championship, Bosh believes their success will depend on how effectively their stars adjust to one another.
"The most important thing is figuring out how they're going to play together, their defensive schemes and offensive schemes," he explained.
"How are they going to share the ball? How are they going to be solid as a unit moving forward? That's going to be the hard part."
Bosh also dismissed criticism that James had chosen Philadelphia simply to chase another championship.
"A lot of people call it ring chasing. Everybody chases rings," Bosh said. "If you didn’t think Kobe and Jordan were ring chasers too, you're crazy. Everybody wants a ring. I'll chase a ring right now."
Chris Bosh
Credit AP Photo/LM Otero - Scanpix
Chris Bosh's Hall of Fame NBA career
Chris Bosh established himself as one of the best power forwards of his generation during a 13-year NBA career with the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
Selected fourth overall in the famous 2003 NBA Draft, Bosh spent seven seasons in Toronto and became the face of the Raptors franchise. He earned five consecutive All-Star selections with the team before joining LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami in 2010.
The trio reached four consecutive NBA Finals and won championships in 2012 and 2013. Bosh played a crucial role as a versatile big man who could defend, stretch the floor and sacrifice individual production for team success.
He was selected to 11 consecutive All-Star Games and finished his career with averages of 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.