Chris Bosh will no longer use his Miami Heat jersey after the NBA team announced they have waived the player. Bosh has not been on the court for quite some time now because of his health issues.
Heat made the announcement on Tuesday and the team’s president, Pat Riley, said that Bosh changed his life and his basketball career when he played for Heat. Riley added that their lives were also made better when Bosh became part of Heat, Yahoo Sports said.
Riley continued to praise Bosh, who he said was one of those responsible for bringing Miami Heat to four NBA finals from 2011 to 2014.
Riley also said Bosh helped them win the 2012 and 2013 championships. Bosh played for the Miami Heat alongside Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. They were known as “The Big Three.”
Bosh set to retire his No. 1 jersey
Bosh will be giving up his No. 1 jersey but plans about this were not released yet. Riley said in his statement that the jersey will never be worn by another player and they hoped Bosh will hang his jersey in the rafters one day, ESPN reported.
The 11-time All-Star player last played during the 2015-2016 NBA season with the Miami Heat.
What keeps Bosh from playing
Bosh has been trying to get back to the court for the last year but his blood clot issues prevented him from doing that. He has been taking blood thinners and was supposed to play during the 2016-2017 NBA season but doctors chosen by Heat advised against it.
The doctors noted that his overall health status does not make him fit to play for Heat. Bosh continued to update his fans through his social media platforms in the past months and promised them that he will soon be back.
During his career, the 33-year-old averaged 19.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and two assists per game. For his six seasons with the Miami Heat, he averaged 18.0 points and 7.3 rebounds.
LeBron James, Dwayne Wade on Heat’s decision to waive Bosh
James took to Twitter to support Bosh. He said “Salute my brother @chrisbosh!!” together with the hashtags “1Forever” and “StriveForGreatness.” For Wade, he retweeted one of the tweets of Miami Heat showing Bosh wearing the No. 1 jersey.
Some critics believe Heat waiving Bosh and formally parting ways with him will end the player's 13-year career.
Bosh tweeted the following in response to Heat waiving him:
Thank you @MiamiHEAT @MickyArison , Coach Riley, The Heat Staff inside and outside of the arena, #HeatNation Fans, and City of Miami!🏆🏆 https://t.co/VksDtIR505
— Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) July 5, 2017
Do you think Bosh will still play basketball with another team? Or should he focus on getting better? Let us know in the comments below!