“I’d like to report a fire down on the court at Kaseya Center. It’s Burnie. He’s been knocked out by Conor McGregor.”
Mascots sometimes steal the show during breaks in NBA games, offering plenty of entertainment for fans in attendance. Heat mascot Burnie is no stranger to that, but that entertainment got very real over the weekend.
The anthropomorphic fireball was involved in a skit with former UFC champ and MMA great Conor McGregor during Game 4 of the Heat-Nuggets series when he took a left hand — which led to a left turn and a hospital visit for the poor, poor mascot.
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Here’s what you need to know about the Heat mascot’s smoldering injuries, and when you can expect to see him back on the court.
What happened to the Heat mascot?
At halftime of Game 4 in Miami, Burnie squared up against MMA superstar Conor McGregor. It was a scripted skit for the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion to promote his line of pain-relief spray.
Burnie was dressed in a boxing robe and gloves, looking feisty, but fell into an unexpected predicament when McGregor had packed just a bit more power into his punch than the man under the big, mascot head was expecting.
Burnie was knocked out cold at center court on the first swing, his orange hair flying off in the process. McGregor slugged another one into his face as he lay flat on the ground.
Witness the blows from McGregor via Complex Sports:
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Heat mascot injury update
Before we get into the thick of it: Burnie is OK.
According to The Athletic, the man inside the suit had been taken to a nearby emergency room for treatment, where he was given pain medicine and sent back home. CBS Sports said he is reportedly doing better.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra joked with reporters, praising the fireball for taking not one, but two punches from someone of such a strong caliber. He also joked that Burnie should’ve been allowed to swing first.
Spoelstra said they will not be releasing the name of the man in the suit, but to know that he can take a punch and get back up.
Should the series make it to Game 6, then Burnie will be back on the court. Burnie — and the rest of the heat fanbase — should hope that Miami can pick up a win in Denver.