Latest news with #Bubble2020

Yahoo

Goran Dragic firmly believes the Heat would've won the Bubble Finals if he hadn't gotten hurt: "I'm always gonna say yes"

Goran Dragic firmly believes the Heat would've won the Bubble Finals if he hadn't gotten hurt: "I'm always gonna say yes" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The 2020 NBA Bubble was one of the strangest chapters in league history. No fans, no travel, no distractions and, most importantly, no home-court advantage. Just 22 teams living in isolation in Walt Disney World near Orlando, chasing greatness in the middle of a global pandemic. Advertisement For the Miami Heat, it was supposed to be a transition year. They had just missed the playoffs the season before, brought in Jimmy Butler, and weren't expected to make a ton of noise. But, like they always defy expectations, they turned into a wrecking crew and became just the first No. 5 seed (three lower seeds made it before) in history to reach the NBA Finals. And while they ultimately fell just two wins short of a title, the fact that they outlasted 28 other teams in that setting said everything about their culture and mental toughness. But according to Goran Dragic, if fate didn't intervene, they would've won it all. He is absolutely certain of it. Dragic and the Heat made a spectacular run Miami ran through the Eastern Conference in an unforgettable fashion. They swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round, stomped on the league-best Milwaukee Bucks and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in five, then booted the Boston Celtics in six. Advertisement And Dragic was at the heart of it all. He and Jimmy Butler were carrying the load offensively, with Goran leading the team in total points through those first three rounds. Then came the Finals, and with it, a stroke of (un)luck. Dragic went down in Game 1 with a torn plantar fascia. Bam Adebayo injured his shoulder. Just like that, two of Miami's three best players were shells of themselves. And while Butler went above and beyond to keep them alive, the Heat were down to their knees. Still, Dragic doesn't doubt how that story would've ended if they were. "I mean, of course, I'm always gonna say yes," the Slovenian point guard told Basketball Network when asked if the Heat would've won had he been healthy. "You have to be confident, especially in the NBA. Not only me, even Bam Adebayo got hurt." Advertisement "At that time, I was the leading scorer, me and Jimmy (Butler), we really played some tremendous basketball. We even beat Boston, Indiana… and Milwaukee, too. But, like you said, it was a really unique situation, we were locked up for three months…" he added. Dragic was spectacular during that run, averaging 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds across 17 playoff games. It was the best version of The Dragon Heat fans had ever seen. And it made his absence in the Finals sting even more. Related: Rick Fox explains why Kobe never hung out with other teammates: "He was on a course and any minute or day wasted doing something else was going to slow him down getting to that point" The Heat gave their heart and soul With Dragic and Bam either out or banged up for most of the series, Butler emptied the tank. We all remember the image — Butler, leaning on the scorer's table, head down, drenched in sweat, absolutely exhausted. That was the visual representation of the whole Heat organization in those Finals. He gave them everything he had, but it just wasn't enough without the other two stars beside him. Advertisement The Heat ultimately fell to the Lakers in six games. LeBron James stood tall(er) at the end and took home his fourth Finals MVP trophy in one of the most challenging seasons in the Association. Both physically and mentally. Still, Dragic's belief hasn't changed. Had he and Bam been at full strength, he truly believes Miami would've left the Bubble with more than just respect. They would've left with the Larry O'Brien trophy. Related: Goran Dragic opens up about how talented but wildly inconsistent Michael Beasley was: "He just told me, 'Today's just not my day to play'" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.