Two-Time NBA Championship Winner Chris Bosh Retired Early Due to a Medical Condition
Blood clots cut his career short.
Published March 28 2025, 2:57 p.m. ET
Chris Bosh's name is usually attached to the controversy surrounding LeBron James's decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and form a "super team" with the Miami Heat.
In 2010, James joined both Chris and Dwyane Wade, forming what was lauded as a "holy trinity" of professional basketball at the time.
Bosh is hailed as one of the greatest power forwards the game has ever seen. But why did he retire before he turned 32 years old?
Why did Chris Bosh retire?
Chris's statistics don't lie. The baller's Basketball Reference sheet shows a tale of a consistently redoubtable player who made an impact while on the floor. Averaging 19.2 points per game throughout his career that spanned 893 games, with an 8.5 total rebound percentage and 2 assists, he was a key player.
It's this persistent gameplay excellence that helped pave the way for two Miami Heat Championships that Chris earned alongside James and Dwyane while playing for the Florida-based ball club.
And while the retirement age for NBA players is around 28 years old, according to Hoopsbeat, it's not uncommon for stars to extend that playing time further.
Chris Bosh playing for the Miami Heat against the Los Angeles Lakers
Heck, LeBron is still putting in work for the Los Angeles Lakers, whom he also secured a championship with, and he is 40 years old.
Of course, he is a bit of an anomaly, so why do so many people believe Chris retired early?
This can be directly attributed to the numbers that he was putting up. His final season in 2015-2016 shows he was still constantly playing well. This is why his retirement came as such a shock to many NBA fans.
However, Sporting News details what precipitated Chris's decision to end his career right before his 32nd birthday. This is due to a medical condition that saw Chris suffer a series of recurring and oft-returning blood clots.
The outlet writes that right before his retirement, Chris was gaining recognition for improving his already impressive and reliable game. In fact, there's a strong argument to be made that he was playing the best basketball of his life right before he made his decision to retire.
"Bosh was redefining himself in his early thirties. He had just earned his 11th consecutive All-Star selection and was averaging 19.1 points per game while canning a career-best 1.5 3-pointers per game," Sporting News writes.
Even though Chris has "contractual agreements" and in spite of his attempt at making a "brief comeback" in the league, he ultimately retired from the NBA three years after the 2015-2016 season.
The blood clots in question were constantly forming in the 6'11 power forward's lungs. Competing at the highest level of the game against other athletes with this condition was not only a difficult prospect for Chris to undergo. Furthermore, it flies in the face of medical advice.
The blood-thinning medication Chris was administered to treat this condition necessitated that he needed to limit any strenuous physical activity. This meant that engaging in daily workouts and intense practice sessions, as well as games, was impossible.
During the 2016 NBA All-Star break, physicians also found another blood clot in Chris's leg. During the 2016-2017 season, the Heat's team President Pat Riley relayed that Chris's tenure with the franchise "was probably over."
Despite the injury and his early departure from the NBA, Chris is regarded as one of of the sport's top players who unfortunately had his career cut short by circumstances beyond his control.