"Chris is still open minded but we are not working towards his return." Yeah, yeah, yeah, you never wanted him back. Hold him until February and then collect insurance.
I guess Xarelto isn't helping. Lawsuits and black box warnings from the FDA are what's happening with Xarelto over the past year. I hope he does the right thing for himself and his family. It would be reckless for anyone to put him on the court again.
If you ask me i would rather be like Riley, or want him in control. He has the mindset of never getting screwed over, he might be a jerk because he doesn't return favors, but he does what is RIGHT for the team moving in the future. To me not paying Wade was smart, Wade is declining, wanted way too much money and was going to hinder the growth of the team for years on in. No chances were taken and now they can rebuild a lot quicker!
I think he's having an identity crisis that's overwhelming the logic that he could die if he plays basketball on blood thinners or tries to stay off.
I would have Riley in control, but that doesn't mean he screw it with Wade. Yes people forget quickly, but Wade is certainly not one to not pay yet. He had option to overpay him with long contract.
BOSH: "It's not a matter of if I'm going to play again - IT's WHEN........ P.S. Riles, I am not medically retiring and you are not getting free cap room."
The Lakers had the option to overpay Kobe, and did. How'd that turn out? Not saying this situation is as large as Kobe, in terms of his place in Laker history and the $ size of his last contract... but there are lots of similarities. And frankly, the idea of a guy playing his whole career on one team, while something always applauded by fans, really isn't a big deal. Sports free agency became a thing a LONG time ago. Hakeem finished with the Raptors... no big loss, and he's still a Rocket for life. KG moved. KD moved. Etc. The Spurs might be the one exception, in part because of the small-market feel of San Antonio (even though it is not a small market), and more because of the culture that organization embraces and espouses and which contributes to its winning. Sure, it'd be great if other squads could have that culture, but its not just about keeping players around. Again, see Kobe. Or for that matter, see Dirk, who doesn't have near the overpaying issues, hasn't been injured for most of his last contract(s), and has a team that has made the playoffs regularly, but really still has no near or medium term prospects for doing something super exciting. The thing with Bosh even moreso isn't a Pat Riley issue. The Heat doctors, the NBA doctors, Bosh's own doctors, all doctors on the internet, most fans on the internet who have kept up to date with the status, and Bosh's own current and former teammates have all looked at the situation from the outside and said, dude needs to hang em up. I guess Bosh is a bit disappointed that the Heat didn't "try harder" to find paths back to the court for him. And perhaps that's semi-valid. But the heat have their doctors on staff, and they have the NBA's doctors reports. Perhaps Pat, as the key figure in that organization who speaks and others listen, could have aggressively told their doctors to f'ing find a way... but honestly, how would you feel if an employee came to you, and doctors were telling you that if he continued to work he could die, even if the dude was begging to work, no way you'd let him. No way.
In a league of not-tampering tampering wink wink deals, Wade taking a pay cut post championship was the keystone of Riley's "genius" plan. The issue is that Pat didn't honor that commitment of returning the favor and quite frankly, didn't have to. Knowing the sleaze of people like him, he probably offered Wade the moon and beyond during those years but dropped him like a dried up turd the first opportunity after Lebron bolted.
He is in full mode denial right now. How exactly this is Riley's fault? Did Riley give him blood clots?
This is why I think the league needs to get involved. He is defacing the Heat. The league should step in and not allow spectators to watch a player die..
He should just call it quits, he gets his money regardless of whether he plays or not. And nobody is going to support him in fear of him actually dying on the court.
