Getty Image / Megan Briggs
Last night, the Miami Heat attempted to even their NBA Finals series against the Denver Nuggets in front of their home crowd.
During the game, the Heat decided to bring Conor McGregor down to the court for a bit involving their mascot.
Unfortunately, it turns out the bit, much like Game 4 in general, didn’t work out all too well for the Heat.
The bit saw Conor McGregor throw a left hook at the team’s mascot, Burnie. The punch sent Burnie tumbling to the floor.
Then McGregor threw in a follow up shot like he was Dan Henderson trying to shut Michael Bisping up once and for all.
Conor McGregor KO'd the Heat mascot 😅 #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/IRAKzuMKp2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 10, 2023
When Burnie was dragged off the field, it seemed like everything was fine, but it turned out that one of those McGregor punches had a bit more of an impact than intended.
Today, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that the mascot had actually been taken to the hospital as a result of the bit.
Source: The Heat's mascot, Burnie, had to go to the ER last night after a mid-game bit with former UFC champ Conor McGregor appears to have gone too far. More here, at @TheAthletic https://t.co/EeQVnIP8Ci
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 10, 2023
Luckily, Burnie was released from the hospital today.
Maybe in the future the Heat will give a second thought to having a former UFC Champion punch their defenseless mascot, especially when that former champion has a history of throwing dollies and punching old men.
You have to wonder what exactly they were thinking when they set this up and what Conor McGregor was doing dropping the hammer on the defenseless mascot while they were on the ground.
Let’s just hope that the Nuggets aren’t thinking about having anybody from Elevation MMA down on the court on Monday as they attempt to bring home their first trophy.