DENVER — As if the Miami Heat didn’t have enough incentive already to extend these NBA Finals with a Game 5 win on Monday, now there’s this: Their beloved and battered mascot, Burnie, will be ready for Game 6 on Thursday if there is one.
As The Athletic first reported on Saturday, the man who plays Burnie had to receive medical treatment at a Miami emergency room after former UFC champion Conor McGregor cold-cocked him twice during a promotional bit during Game 4. He was seen by a doctor, received pain medication and was later sent home. But according to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Burnie is ready to bounce back.
“That’s the Miami Heat toughness that we’re talking about,” Spoelstra, whose team trails 3-1 in the series, said amid laughter in the Ball Arena press conference room. “He should have been allowed to take the first swing (on McGregor). We won’t reveal who that is, but he can take a punch and get back up. He’s not going to miss any time.”
McGregor stayed for the entirety of Game 4 and was seen leaving the Kaseya Center with his entourage afterward. He has not made any public comment about the incident.
There has long been a sense of mystery surrounding the world of NBA mascots, and Burnie’s counterpart, the Nuggets’ Rocky the mountain lion, has often been the focus of such intrigue. Not only is he reportedly the highest paid mascot in the league — $625,000 annually,