Eight years after playing his final NBA game, Hall of Fame former floor-spacing Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors power forward/center Chris Bosh returned to the hardwood — albeit briefly — to pay tribute to his former All-Star Miami teammate Goran Dragic.
The latter vet was hosting a farewell game loaded with Hall of Fame talent in his native Ljubljana, Slovenia. Bosh was attending, but his participation was something of an open question for a while.
The “I Feel Slovenia Night of the Dragon” event featured Hall of Famers like Bosh, Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki, and Phoenix Suns/Mavericks point guard Steve Nash. Modern superstars Nikola Jokic, a three-time Denver Nuggets MVP, and Luka Doncic, a five-time All-NBA honoree and likely a future MVP himself, also suited up.
During an interview with Mindaugas Bertys of BasketNews, Bosh reflected on the end of his own career, after playing his first game alongside NBA-caliber talent since 2016 (he suited up for just a few minutes).
Former Miami Heat player Chris Bosh answers questions from the media prior his jersey retirement ceremony during the game between the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Arena on March 26, 2019… Former Miami Heat player Chris Bosh answers questions from the media prior his jersey retirement ceremony during the game between the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Arena on March 26, 2019 in Miami, Florida. Bosh suited up for his first competitive basketball game in eight years this past weekend.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
“It was very tough,” Bosh said. “It was the death of my career, to be honest. Any time dealing with loss and death and stuff like that, you go through grief. I had to do that for a few years. I got over it. I believe it made me stronger. It made me focus on being more of a father.”
The 6-foot-11 big man was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in a loaded 2003 NBA Draft, which also included his eventual Miami Heat teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, plus another future Hall of Famer in Carmelo Anthony.
Following seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors, Bosh jumped ship for the Heat as part of a blockbuster free agent haul, which also included James and Mike Miller. That team would go on to appear in four consecutive NBA Finals, claiming two straight titles from 2012-13, and forever cementing Bosh’s status as one of the best players of his era.
Everything began to rapidly fall apart when James left for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent in 2014.
Rather than depart for the Houston Rockets (who had courted him), Bosh signed a five-year, $118 million deal to stay with the Heat through the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t last nearly that long.
After being named an All-Star during the Heat’s first season without James in 2014-15, a blood clot was found in one of Bosh’s lungs, and suddenly his season was over that February.
Bosh returned to the Heat the next season, but a new blood clot, discovered in his leg after he was named to the 2016 All-Star team, compelled him to miss the rest of the season. All told, his Feb. 9, 2016 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs would wind up being Bosh’s final NBA game.
He attempted a comeback, but medical concerns ultimately hampered these efforts. The league eventually ruled Bosh’s blood clots to be career-ending in 2017, and he hung up his sneakers for good in 2019.
For his career, Bosh has career regular season averages of 19.2 points on .494/.335/.799 shooting splits, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 893 games (881 starts).
“It all went good,” Bosh added of his run. “A couple of championships. Got to meet some great people, have some great teammates, great stories, great locker rooms. I’m a lucky guy.”
Read More: Current All-Stars, Retired Hall of Famers to Play in Goran Dragic Tribute Game
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