Pat Riley believes Chris Bosh’s tenure with Miami Heat is over

After battling blood clots for the better part of two years, the perennial All-Star could be on the brink of retirement. 

Back when the Miami Heat formed the Big Three, Chris Bosh was thought of, in some circles, as that proverbial third wheel. Six years later, Bosh is the last one still in Miami, after LeBron James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade signed with the Chicago Bulls.

If you ask President and GM pat Riley, however, Bosh’s time in South Beach — to say nothing of the NBA itself — could be coming to a close.

Bosh is attempting to come back after suffering from blood clots, which have already cost him most of the 2015-16 NBA season. Bosh could not pass the Heat’s physical earlier in September, so it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll play in the 2016-17 season. Blood clots can haunt you forever and they rarely go away permanently.

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If this is the end of Bosh with the Heat, let’s hope he’s remembered as one of the Heat’s better big men of all-time. He isn’t up there with Alonzo Mourning or Shaquille O’Neal, but he’s in a tier just below them. Much like Mourning and O’Neal, Bosh helped the Heat compete in the East’s upper echelons. And while Bosh found himself in the shadows of LeBron and Wade, he happily accepted a lesser role to help the Heat win. A teammate that talented, who knows his role and how his skills fit therein? That’s not easy to find.

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While with the Heat, Bosh has averaged 18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 1.8 assists per game over six seasons. Bosh signed with the Heat after playing the first eight years of his career with the Toronto Raptors, where he tallied 20.2 points, 1.2 blocks, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest.