Heat Mascot Sent to ER After Conor McGregor Punched Him During Game 4 Skit, per Report
A rough NBA Finals for the Heat grew rougher Saturday afternoon as news broke that the team reportedly suffered a key injury.
Miami's mascot, Burnie, was taken to the emergency room after a skit with ex-UFC fighter Conor McGregor during the Heat's 108-95 loss to the Nuggets in Game 4, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Per Amick, the man who plays Burnie was given pain medication and has since been discharged from the hospital.
Burnie, an anthropomorphic fireball with a basketball for a nose, has been Miami's mascot since the franchise's founding in 1988.
During the skit Friday night, McGregor knocked Burnie out cold while promoting his pain relief spray, drawing boos from the crowd during a game where Denver took a 3–1 lead.
Conor McGregor KO'd the Heat mascot ???? #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/IRAKzuMKp2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 10, 2023
McGregor, 34, held the UFC's featherweight championship from 2015 to ’16 and its lightweight championship from ’16 to ’18.