During Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the Kaseya Center in Miami, UFC star Conor McGregor landed a punch on Burnie, the Miami Heat’s mascot, which resulted in the performer being sent to the local hospital’s emergency room.
As reported by The Atlantic, the incident, which took place in the third quarter, was a pre-planned skit aimed at promoting a pain relief spray. Burnie, who was wearing large gold boxing gloves and a boxing robe, was punched by McGregor and fell to the ground. McGregor then landed another punch while Burnie was on the ground before being taken off the court by staff.
According to the report, the individual portraying Burnie was discharged from the hospital after receiving pain medication and is recovering well.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra made light of the incident during a media briefing ahead of Game 5 in Denver, jokingly referring to the toughness of the Miami Heat He stated that the person involved in the skit should have been allowed to take the first swing and commended their ability to take a punch and continue without missing any time.
Here’s the video of the incident in Miami last night where a goof between Conor McGregor and the Miami Heat mascot ultimately sent the person playing the mascot to the ER. pic.twitter.com/sDwAIh5MCk
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) June 10, 2023
The Miami Heat lost the game on Friday to the Denver Nuggets with a score of 108-95. The Nuggets currently lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.
