MIAMI — Miami guard Dwyane Wade has dropped out of the Olympics. Could Heat big man Chris Bosh be next?
Bosh’s agent, Henry Thomas, wouldn’t confirm Thursday that Bosh, a finalist, definitely will play in the games in London. He said he will have a discussion Friday with Bosh, who missed nine games during the playoffs due to an abdominal strain before returning to play in the final eight, and a final decision will be made.
“We’re going to talk about it,’’ Thomas said in an interview with FOX Sports Florida. “I’m going to have a conversation (with Bosh on Friday) about it …. We’ll go more in-depth. I’d rather not talk about it until we talk about it.’’
It's certainly very possible that Bosh, who wants to play and is considered a lock to make the team, will end up in London. Nevertheless, Thomas would offer no hint on what Bosh might do and declined to say if he’s at least optimistic his client will play in the Olympics.
Wade, also represented by Thomas, dropped out of Olympic consideration Thursday because he will have left-knee surgery July 9. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he has gotten no indication that that any of the remaining 17 finalists might be thinking of not reporting to Las Vegas for training camp, which runs July 6-12.
Speaking to the media last Monday, Bosh first said about the Olympics, “I’m committed. I’m all in so far.’’ But then Bosh later left the door open.
“Right now, that’s a conversation I have to have with the doctors and the trainers,’’ Bosh said about playing in the London. “I knew I wasn’t going to be 100 percent coming into my situation (when he returned from his injury in the playoffs). There was some pain I had to fight through. I think I have to get reassessed. They’re going to tell me what my options are and how we can work things out, and how we can move forward after that day… We’re going to have more conversations and see where it goes.’’
Thomas said Bosh saw a doctor Monday “after the parade’’ the Heat had for winning the NBA title last Thursday. While Bosh had met with the media after the parade, he didn’t give an indication then he’d already seen a doctor.
Heat president Pat Riley said he hasn't spoken to Bosh about the Olympics. Riley said the decision will be up to Bosh, who won a gold medal with the 2008 team.
"Chris has represented his country already," Riley said. "That's up to him."
Riley said Bosh is still hurting and his injury was severe enough he would have been out much longer had it not been the playoffs. Bosh was hurt May 13 in Game 1 of an East semifinal against Indiana and returned June 5 for Game 5 of the East finals against Boston.
"Chris is still nursing an injury," Riley said. "He had a significant abdominal injury. If we weren't in the playoffs against Boston, he probably would not have played for another three or four weeks."
Thomas on Thursday also discussed Wade’s injury. He said the surgery will be performed by Heat team doctor Harlan Selesnick.
Colangelo said Wade told him the recovery time is four-to-six weeks. Thomas didn't disagree, but said Selesnick told him that’s an “optimistic’’ projection, and it’s possible recovery could be longer than six weeks. But Thomas said Wade will be ready for the start of training camp in early October.
"It's a relatively simple process," Thomas said about Wade, who won an Olympic bronze in 2004 and a gold in 2008. "He'll be on crutches maybe just a day."
Thomas said the process involves cleaning out Wade’s left knee, one he had drained May 17 prior to Game 3 of an East semifinal against Indiana. Thomas said one option discussed was for Wade to not have the surgery.
“He just felt that going forward, if he didn’t have it done, he would again experience the periodic pain that he had this past season,’’ Thomas said. “He wanted to do it for the future, to make sure he’d be at 100 percent …. It’s in the lining of the knee, and that’s what causes the excess fluid to build up.’’
Thomas said also discussed was Wade, 30, having surgery before the Olympics and attempting to join the team in London in August.
“There was some thought on whether he could get it done and how quickly he would be able to come back, if you could come back for the medal round, if that even would have been acceptable,’’ Thomas said.
In the end, however, it was felt that wouldn’t be fair to Team USA. And Wade didn’t want to wait to have the surgery until after the Olympics because that likely would have forced him to miss the start of training camp.
Thomas said Wade still should be able to go through with his plan this summer of working with a shooting coach for the first time in his career.
“He plans to do that still,’’ Thomas said. “He’ll do that whenever he’s cleared by the doctors, whether it’s six weeks, seven weeks.’’
Wade, who averaged 22.6 points in the 4-1 Finals win over Oklahoma City, and Bosh are two of the three clients Thomas has on the Heat. He also has forward Udonis Haslem.
Bosh, still working his way back, came off the bench for the first game of the Finals. He started at center in the last four games, finishing the series with averages of 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds.
“It was a tough injury, but he fought back,’’ Thomas said. “He knew they were playing for all the marbles, and, fortunately for everybody, he will able to produce.’’
Now, is Bosh prepared to produce in the Olympics? It's a question that soon will be answered.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson
