In the span of roughly one month, three well known players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) were struck by blood clots.
Most recently, on Saturday, February 21, the Miami Heat confirmed that their 2015 NBA All-Star Chris Bosh would miss the remainder of the season due to blood clots in his lung. Just a few days earlier, on February 18, we learned that Jerome Kersey, who spent years lighting up the hardwoods playing with the Portland Trailblazers, lost his life, at the age of just 52, due to a blood clot a few days after he reportedly had knee surgery. Just last month, on January 23, Brooklyn Nets forward Mira Teletovic, in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers, wound up in an L.A. hospital with blood clots on his lungs.
If nothing else, the experiences of these high-performance and high-profile athletes prove one thing: Blood clots do not discriminate.
NBCA and the entire Stop the Clot® community extend condolences to the friends and family of Jerome Kersey. His life was cut too short by blood clots.
To help prevent blood clots, it’s important to understand the risk factors for blood clots and also the signs and symptoms of blood clots. Blood clots can be prevented and, when they do occur, they can be safely treated. It’s important to share this information with your friends and family too, so you can help get the word out about life-threatening blood clots.
NBCA also extends its support and well wishes for swift recoveries to both Chris Bosh and Mira Teletovic. We have shared information about their recent ordeals on our Twitter feed and Facebook page, and we’re sure to keep up with the next phase in their respective journeys. They are fortunate that they were able to receive treatment of their blood clots and can now move forward with their lives. We wish nothing more for them than a triumphant return to the hardwoods next year. Time will tell.
And, if you think other pro athletes are immune, think again. Click here to read about some pro hockey players also affected by blood clots: Hockey players and blood clots. Pro baseball players also are on this list too, with a good number of MLBers having experienced blood clots.
To read about the many other people affected by blood clots, or to share your own personal story, click here: Patient Stories.
