It’s been a rough week for the Miami Heat. Not only did they drop their last two home game in the NBA Finals, but their mascot, Burnie, was knocked out on the court in front of the whole world to see.
During a half-time show, Conor McGregor took the court to announce a promo with the Heat when he and Burnie started playfully exchanging blows in front of the crowd. At one point, cameras capture the moment as Burnie appears to lose consciousness following a hit from McGregor. Many are still unsure if the last bit was staged, but Burnie is seen being dragged off the floor from his co-workers, completely unresponsive.
Conor McGregor just knocked out Burnie pic.twitter.com/w1IdovFhrX
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 10, 2023
It was announced later that Burnie had to be taken to the emergency room, which obviously indicates that things got too far on that stage.
“During a mid-game bit in which McGregor was promoting his pain relief spray, he coldcocked Burnie with a hard left hook and sent him sprawling to the floor before landing another punch on the ground while spraying his product on him as he was dragged away,” wrote The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “The skit was clearly by design, as Burnie had confronted McGregor while wearing gold boxing gloves, but the excessive power behind the MMA fighter’s punch did enough damage that medical treatment was deemed necessary.”
McGregor may not have meant to hurt the man behind Burnie, but he’s a former UFC champion and one of the greatest fighters ever. Even on his worst day, it wouldn’t take much for one of McGregor’s punches to do some real damage.
NBA Mascots Are Serious Business
While the mascot isn’t usually considered among the most prestigious roles, being a team mascot in the NBA pays pretty well. Sadly for Burnie, he gets out-paid by Rocky several times over…
“Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is the highest-paid mascot in the NBA with a $625K annual salary (via Lee Tran). Rocky makes 10 times the average salary of an NBA mascot (roughly $60K a year).”
Team mascots are not the most important member of the squad, but they can be a vital way for the fans to connect with the team and make moments that will last forever. In the case of Burnie and his encounter with Conor, that was one experience he might have trouble remembering…
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
