NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Chris Bosh to Quit Soon? Center Exits Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside Team

Feb 15, 2016 09:51 AM EST

The Miami Heat had been struggling to find ways to gain on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Ever since the departure of LeBron James from the Big Three, which is composed of himself, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Hassan Whiteside squad had been lagging behind the likes of the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks. As former NBA champs, the Miami Heat have been seeking measures to fill the void left by King James.

Recent rumors, however, appear to threaten even more problems for the Miami Heat. Another member of the former Miami Heat Big Three, Bosh, might be hinting on quitting the NBA soon. The 31-year-old center shared that the NBA is now filled with many up and coming athletes. Hence, he feels that retirement might be a better option for an injured and veteran player like himself.

"I've thought about retiring plenty of times," Bosh said via the Evening Standard. He added, "I'm 31, will be 32 in March. And that's starting to be near the expiration date for a basketball player is, so it crosses your mind. It's becoming more real. You see more young guys and it's hard to continue being competitive, and I'm going through that now."

Despite his awareness of the number of young NBA stars eager to replace him in the league, Bosh remains confident in his ability to contribute to the Miami Heat. In contemplating his next steps as a basketball star, he shared that he is looking at his options realistically as opposed to hoping that his body can take more hits and bruises in the next years. Bosh also noted that his retirement, once made final, will be a sealed deal. That is, he has no intention of staging a comeback once he hangs his jersey for good.

"While I'm playing well right now, I still think about it every day. It's realistic. But until then I'm playing basketball," Bosh shared. He further revealed, "Once I'm done, I think I'll be done. I have demanding kids and a wife who demands my attention. When I'm finished, me playing basketball will be an afterthought."

Meanwhile, Bosh dropped out of the 2016 NBA-All Star due to his calf injury. The Miami Heat star announced that his decision to withdraw from the competition is rooted from his fear that his body might not be able to take the additional strain. He shared that the move to stay out of the pressure is his way of being a "good professional."

He explained via ESPN, "It just lingered and I didn't feel it was wise to continue to push it, especially with this elongated week that we have off. I just wanted to make sure that I was taking the necessary precautions and being a good professional."