Chris Bosh says he's 'lucky to be alive' after mystery health scare
chris bosh revealed Wednesday that a sudden medical emergency left him covered in his own blood while he was preparing for a date with his wife, and he says the episode has changed how he thinks about life. The 41-year-old posted on social media and in video form as he recovers.
Chris Bosh posted on Instagram and X and pointed to bruising around his eyes
Bosh posted a video on his Instagram account and also took to X to describe the incident, saying he woke up covered in blood and had no memory of what happened. He pointed to his face in the video, with the area around his eyes noticeably darker, and said "I won’t get into specifics" while acknowledging he is still recovering.
One written post carried a timestamp of 21: 58 GMT on 25 Feb 2026, with an update at 22: 09 GMT, and Bosh said the event was "fast" and "instant" — that he "went to the darkness" and then "came back. "
Numbing down his left leg, blackout before a date night, and first responders
In the video Bosh described a numbing sensation that ran down his left leg before he blacked out while getting ready for a date night with his wife. He said he eventually came to and found his wife calling first responders, and that he noticed he was covered in blood. Bosh added that he tried to move his body but couldn't do so at the time.
Past blood-clot history: pulmonary embolism in 2015 and new clots in 2016
Bosh has a well-documented history of blood-clot issues. Medical officials confirmed that his 2014-15 season ended because he developed blood clots in one of his lungs, and in 2015 he was hospitalized after a pulmonary embolism; he initially ignored pain in his chest, believing it was a rib injury before tests showed otherwise. During the 2016 All-Star break, doctors discovered another blood clot in his leg and blood clots continued to form, which led to him failing physicals while with the Miami Heat, the team he spent six of his 13 years with.
The NBA ruled in 2017 that he was unsafe to continue playing because of the condition. Bosh kept trying to return to the league until his retirement in 2019. He did not say whether the prior clotting issues were a factor in this recent scare.
Career milestones: All-Star honors, championships, Raptors records and Hall of Fame
Bosh is an 11-time NBA All-Star who won two NBA championships with the Miami Heat alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. He remains the Toronto Raptors' all-time leader in rebounds and blocks and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. During his time with the Raptors, he made five of his 11 All-Star teams and averaged 20. 2 points and 9. 4 rebounds while with that franchise.
Recent public appearances referenced in the context include Bosh posing before the Emirates NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 16, 2025, and sitting courtside at a college basketball game at the Moody Center in Austin on Nov. 18, 2025.
Bosh's message to fans and the public: "Don't wait"
Bosh said the experience left him with a different outlook on life and a sense of urgency. "I'm lucky I came back, " he said, adding that "don't wait" is the lesson he wants people to take from this: don't wait to take action on a promotion, to try out for a team, to go on a vacation, or to start a business. He said that after "coming back from the darkness" there was no life montage or voice telling him what to do, only gratitude for still being alive and a "newfound, sobering awareness" of how things are.
He said he feels great about being alive and is now thinking about how he lives day to day, and he urged others not to wait to act on what matters to them.
