Chris Bosh will retire at March jersey ceremony
Former Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors star big man Chris Bosh has decided to hang up his sneakers.
“Me knowing that that part of my life is over, that has been a tough thing to deal with, but I'm good," the 34-year-old said on the "The Bill Simmons Podcast" on Monday. "It's taken a long time."
Due to recurring issues with blood clots, Bosh hasn't appeared in an NBA game since Feb. 9, 2016, though he'd publicly maintained a desire to make a comeback as recently as this past summer.
"I could have kept playing," the 11-time All-Star added. "But that time has passed. I've made the decision not to pursue it anymore.”
Earlier in February, the Heat announced that Bosh's No. 1 jersey will be retired at the team's March 26 game against the Orlando Magic. Bosh plans to make his retirement official on the same day.
"Look, I'm retired now," he said before quickly catching himself. "I'm retiring, I guess. Has anybody retired and put their jersey up at the same time? Nobody's done that, have they?"
Bosh was selected fourth overall by the Raptors in the vaunted 2003 draft. In 2010, he left Toronto to team up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the Heat, a league-changing move that resulted in championship runs in 2012 and 2013.
The Dallas native boasts career averages of 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and two assists per game, and he helped refine the modern definition of a floor-spacing big man.