Chris Bosh 'did not pay attention' to chest pains ahead of blood clot discovery

Don't try to be a tough guy.

That's the lesson to be learned from Chris Bosh's experience with terrifying, season-ending blood clots on his left lung this past season.

The Miami Heat star was admitted to a hospital for tests on Feb. 19 and shut down for the year within a matter of days. But it's possible the condition could have been recognized earlier, as the blood clot existed for two-to-three weeks before it was discovered, and the 10-time All-Star ignored some underlying symptoms during that time.

As Bosh told the Boomer and Carton show on CBS Sports Radio:

Well, I guess. I had a pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in my left lung. I had the shortness of breath. I had the shooting pains. I did not pay attention to it. I should've called my doctor right off the bat. My wife still gives me a hard time about it, but Boomer, you know how it is. You're an athlete and you just say, 'Hey, I'm going to go out there. I'm going to keep playing. I can't let my team and the fans down.'

In Bosh's case, an even scarier situation was avoided, and the power forward expects to be ready for opening night. But Bosh's "new outlook on life" should stand as a message to other players that one's health isn't worth risking, even if the culture of sport suggests playing through it.

In 44 games before the issue arose last season, Bosh averaged 21.1 points, seven rebounds, and 2.2 assists, scoring at his highest rate since his days with the Toronto Raptors. The Heat have designs on title contention in 2015-16, an impossibility without Bosh's continued health.