Bosh to make retirement official in March

Chris Bosh said he will officially retire from the NBA next month, putting an end to a career derailed by health issues. "That part of my life is over," he told Bill Simmons of The Ringer on Monday. "That has been a tough thing to deal with but I'm good, which has taken a long time (to accept) ... I could have kept playing. But man, that time has passed. I've made the decision not to pursue it anymore."

Bosh, 34, has not played since the 2015-16 NBA season, shut down by a recurrence of blood clots. He had held out hope he could play again. A Dallas native, the 6-foot-11 Bosh attended Georgia Tech for one season before being drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft.

He played in Toronto until 2010, when he completed a sign-and-trade deal and was shipped to Miami. There, he formed the "Big Three" with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and the Heat won NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. Before the 2016-17 season, Bosh failed a team physical. Later in the season, the two sides agreed to a separation agreement, and Heat president Pat Riley announced Bosh's No. 1 would never be worn again.

The Heat will retire his jersey in a ceremony on March 26, at which time Bosh said he will make his retirement official - two days after his 35th birthday. An 11-time All-Star, Bosh played in 893 regular-season games, averaging 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game.

--Field Level Media

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