Chris Bosh says he’s 'lucky to be alive' after sudden medical emergency that left him covered in blood

chris bosh revealed on social media Wednesday that he suffered a sudden medical emergency that left him on the floor, covered in his own blood, with no memory of the event. The 41-year-old Hall of Famer posted a video on Instagram as he continued to recover and urged people not to delay important decisions in life.

Chris Bosh describes waking up covered in blood

In the video, Bosh said the episode was "instant" and that he woke up preparing for a date with his wife before losing consciousness. He recounted coming to in a pool of his own blood, with the area around his eyes noticeably darker, and said he has no recollection of what happened during the blackout. He declined to provide specific medical details of the incident, but emphasized that it was frightening and sudden.

Numbness in left leg and first responders at the scene

Bosh said the scare began with a numbing sensation that traveled down his left leg. He described trying to move but being unable to do so, and that when he regained consciousness his wife was on the phone with first responders. He has been recovering since and pointed to visible marks on his face in the video to show he is still healing.

Blood-clot history, pulmonary embolism in 2015 and 2016 complications

The former All-Star’s account acknowledged a long medical history involving blood clots. He was hospitalized in 2015 for a pulmonary embolism, initially mistaking chest pain for a rib injury before tests revealed the clot. In 2016, additional clotting issues led him to fail physicals with the Miami Heat. The NBA ruled in 2017 that he was unsafe to continue playing because of the condition.

Retirement timeline and franchise records with the Raptors and Heat

Bosh’s career milestones were reiterated in his remarks and background detail: he was an 11-time NBA All-Star, spent six of his 13 NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, and won two championships with the Heat alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. He broke into the league in 2003 as a 19-year-old, selected third overall out of Georgia Tech, made five of his 11 All-Star teams with the Toronto Raptors and averaged 20. 2 points and 9. 4 rebounds during his time there. He remains the Raptors’ all-time leader in rebounds and blocks and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Accounts in the public record note he was ruled unsafe to continue playing in 2017; one account says he retired officially in 2017, while another notes he kept trying to return until his retirement in 2019.

What he took away: gratitude and a warning not to wait

Bosh framed the incident as life-changing, saying there was no cinematic clarity when he "came back from the darkness, " only gratitude for being alive and a simpler outlook. He repeatedly urged people not to wait—whether for a promotion, a tryout, a vacation or to start a business—and listed those examples as things people delay. He said the ordinary parts of life don’t feel meaningful until they’re taken away, and that realization shaped his message moving forward.

What makes this notable is that the episode tied directly to a documented medical history: prior pulmonary embolism, continued clotting in 2016, failed physicals with the Miami Heat, and an NBA determination in 2017 that he was unsafe to play. Bosh did not say whether those prior clotting problems were a factor in the recent emergency, and he did not give a definitive diagnosis in the video.

The immediate effects are concrete: a blacking-out episode that left him incapacitated enough that his wife had to summon first responders, visible facial injuries and a public appeal about seizing the day. The broader implication is a renewed focus on personal health and priorities from a high-profile athlete whose career was already shaped by a serious vascular condition.

Bosh said only that he feels "lucky" to have come back and that he now thinks differently about how he lives day to day. He continues to recover while sharing his experience publicly, urging action rather than delay.