‘I almost dropped dead’: Former NBA champ Chris Bosh on health scare, advice for Victor Wembanyama
Bosh says he had a health ‘episode’ back in January
Nate Kotisso, Digital Journalist
Published: August 4, 2026 at 6:45 AM
Updated: August 4, 2026 at 10:14 AM
SAN ANTONIO – Former NBA champion Chris Bosh and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama have a few things in common: endless amounts of basketball talent and a health diagnosis that changed their lives forever
Bosh, the 11-time All-Star who was a part of a Miami Heat team that both defeated and lost to the Spurs in back-to-back NBA Finals, told HoopsHype in an interview published Monday he nearly died due to a health “episode” that kept him hospitalized for a week
“I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life,” Bosh told the website. “I’m not joking.”
According to Bosh, the “scare” stemmed from a pulmonary embolism, which The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota describes as “a blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung.”
In 2019, Bosh decided to retire from basketball after he suffered multiple blood clots. He played his final NBA game in 2016
“Yeah, you got to deal with it for the rest of your life,” Bosh said. “I thought I was past it. I am not. So, you know, it’s just making sure I stay on top of my regimen.”
Chris Bosh to HoopsHype: “I had an episode in January. I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I’m not joking. I had another pulmonary embolism. It was in January. I was in the hospital for a week.” pic.twitter.com/cEkj5eOieB
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 3, 2026
Bosh’s blood clot diagnosis is similar to Wembanyama’s
In February 2025, Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right shoulder
DVT develops “when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body,” The diagnosis ended Wembanyama’s 2024-25 season
Bosh’s advice to Wembanyama was simple: “Take your medicine.”
“Make sure that he’s (Wembanyama) staying on top of his regimen to make sure that doesn’t happen again because it only takes one more time,” Bosh said. “It happened one more time for me. It happened twice, and I couldn’t play anymore.”
“So, I guess with him, just making sure he does everything necessary to keep that blood as thin as possible and take care of that body off the court,” Bosh continued
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