Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat has resumed taking blood thinners to treat a blood clot in his leg, said a person with knowledge of the situation.
Bosh began the new medication regimen with hopes that he can resume playing this season, the person said Tuesday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the team nor Bosh has revealed anything publicly.
Typically athletes in contact sports are discouraged from playing while taking blood-thinning medication. It’s unclear when Bosh started taking the medication.
‘‘I hate it for him,’’ said NASCAR driver Brian Vickers, who like Bosh is an endorser of the blood-thinning medication Xarelto. ‘‘I would tell him the same thing again, just don’t give up. Just keep fighting. Find a solution and keep going.’’
Bosh missed the final 30 games of last season because a blood clot was found on one of his lungs. Given that Bosh is considering playing again this season, or at least trying to find a way to get back on the floor, strongly suggests that this situation is not as serious as what he faced last year — when returning was not even a slim option.
Bosh said over the weekend in Toronto that he was optimistic about playing again this season.
Bosh pulled out of the All-Star Game and the 3-point contest over the weekend because of what he and the Heat described as a calf strain. He was shut down at the All-Star break last season because a blood clot had found its way to one of his lungs, and that issue is something that Bosh believes started as a calf problem.
Pistons get Harris
The Detroit Pistons acquired forward Tobias Harris from Orlando in a trade that sends guard Brandon Jennings and forward Ersan Ilyasova to the Magic.
The 23-year-old Harris gives Detroit another athletic young player, and he'll be under team control for a while. Harris signed a $64 million, four-year deal to stay with the Magic last summer, when he was a restricted free agent.
The Pistons, who are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, gave up their starting power forward in Ilyasova. Jennings was Detroit’s backup point guard, and the Pistons could afford to part with him after making a long-term commitment to starter Reggie Jackson.
Lee going to Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are sending swingman Courtney Lee to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for P.J. Hairston. The Grizzlies will also receive Chris Andersen from the Miami Heat, who will get guard Brian Roberts from Charlotte in the three-team deal . . . Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will have surgery Wednesday on his right shoulder again and will miss the remainder of the NBA season . . . Hawks center Tiago Splitter needs season-ending hip surgery. Splitter, from Brazil, has missed the last six games.
