Update -- Wednesday 12 p.m. ET: The NBPA has reportedly requested a meeting with the Heat to resolve the situation with Chris Bosh.
The standoff between the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh is unprecedented, tricky and potentially dangerous. The big man has not played since the All-Star break because of blood clots, and reportedly wants to come back and play -- against his team's wishes.
ESPN's Dan LeBatard talked about this at length on his radio show Monday, and said that Bosh now wants to involve the National Basketball Players Association as he tries to make his return to the court. Here's a partial transcript of Le Batard's comments:
I can't think of a lot of a lot of instances where a sports organization is acting in what appears to be the best interest of the player over their own interests and against the will of the player. From the people I'm talking to, Chris Bosh wants back on the court and now. He wants to get back to the Miami Heat, and the Miami Heat, on medical advice, are saying absolutely not, no. They're paying him, they need him, they badly want to get to an Eastern Conference finals against LeBron, and they are telling him no, you cannot work.
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He's appearing to take a stance here that is super dangerous because if you talk to medical experts they will tell you a recurrence of blood clots can be catastrophic. And so the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh are at a crossroads, there's a conflict here that promises to get a little bit messier. It's been in private until now, but it leaked out on social media last week and now I'm hearing that the Boshes want so badly on the court that they're trying to get the union involved.
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This is the conflict that I see it: Bosh is not a crazy person, but he's hardwired to be a competition-a-holic. He's got five kids, being a father is the most important thing to him in his life, but for some reason he thinks he's good to go. And I think it's because he's not showing the symptoms that he showed the first time. That he doesn't feel physically bad. Even though doctors, experts are telling him, hey, a recurrence of blood clots, that one could be catastrophic.
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They have consulted the foremost authorities in the world on this. And they're being told no. The risk is too large. And now when you start talking about waivers and liabilities, those things don't protect you if the catastrophic happens and you've got a Hank Gathers situation. There is no such thing as the waiver that will protect you from what comes after that, legally or just in terms of public perception.
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I'm not a doctor, but the doctors that I've spoken to and the people around this story that I've spoken to say that he's in a super precarious position. But the part that I find interesting to talk about is why, if the foremost authorities are telling the Heat no, he can't play, is he willing to risk it at all? And he wants to get out there, and his wife wants him out there, and they're wearing Bring Bosh Back shirts at the games. And they're putting private pressure on the Heat and they're putting public pressure on the Heat.
Bosh did reach out to the NPBA, and via Deadspin, the players association issued the following statement on the situation:
"Our top priority is Chris' health and well-being. We have spoken with Chris and his agent, and have reached out to the Miami Heat. We are hopeful that all parties involved can meet as soon as possible to resolve the situation."
The details here make it seem extremely complicated, but the core issue is simple. Bosh, a competitor who is reportedly feeling no symptoms, thinks he can do his job and wants to do it at the most important time of the season. The Heat, looking at the bigger picture, will not allow him to come back, regardless of the fact that it might help them on the court. Miami is acting responsibly, and it's hard to imagine the union successfully proving that Bosh should be on the court.
Despite Bosh not seeing eye-to-eye with the Heat, he traveled to Toronto -- on a private plane with owner Micky Arison -- and will be with the team in Game 1 against the Raptors:
The Heat announce that while Chris Bosh will be at the game tonight, his status has not changed
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) May 3, 2016
Since February, the conversation around Bosh has been about whether or not he would be around for the Heat's playoff run. That seems just about impossible now, so bigger questions will be asked: Will Bosh be at less risk by next season's training camp? What does this mean for his career? It's no fun to have to consider any of that, but this is where we are.
