Miami Heat president Pat Riley said Monday that the team is no longer trying to bring Chris Bosh back into the fold.
Riley confirmed that Bosh will likely never suit up for the Heat again in light of his blood clot issues.
“We are not,” Riley said Monday, via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I think Chris is still open-minded. But we are not working toward his return.
“We feel that, based on the last exam, that his Heat career is probably over.”
Riley added that whether Bosh’s career was over completely was “up to him.”
“It’s pretty definitive from us, in our standpoint, that this is probably going to be a time where we really have to step back,” Riley said. “His health, playing and economics — it’s been health, health, health. Whatever the cap ramifications are, they are there, but we never ever thought about that.”
Riley bristled at the notion that the Heat haven’t been fair and understanding throughout Bosh’s health scares.
“If there was a level of mistrust, I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Riley said. “Contrary to how this thing has been perpetuated in the media, we have worked very, very hard with Chris.”
The last straw for the Heat was Bosh failing his preseason physical. He’s reportedly had it with Riley, and with his Heat career effectively finished, it remains to be seen what his next move will be — and whether any doctors associated with any team would clear him to play.
