When the Miami Heat made their improbable run to the 2020 NBA Finals inside the Orlando bubble, they did it with grit, resilience, and a chip on their shoulder. But as Chris Bosh recently pointed out on All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, one key injury may have altered the entire complexion of that series.
Bosh, a Hall of Famer and former Heat cornerstone, reflected on Goran Dragic’s torn plantar fascia-an injury that struck in Game 1 of the Finals and effectively sidelined Miami’s second-leading scorer for the bulk of the series. And for Bosh, it wasn’t just a basketball loss-it was personal.
Chris Bosh believes if Goran Dragic doesn’t get hurt in the 2020 NBA finals, it would’ve been a different series:
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 13, 2026
“The toughest part was watching the Heat deal with injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. That broke my heart man. Not to… https://t.co/5UKntMUerb pic.twitter.com/1bOzN5UWJc
“The toughest part was watching the Heat deal with injuries,” Bosh said. “Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. That broke my heart, man.”
Dragic had been a driving force behind Miami’s postseason surge, averaging 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds over 17 playoff games. He was the steady hand next to Jimmy Butler, the veteran presence who could control pace, create in the halfcourt, and knock down big shots. His absence left a massive void.
“Not to say they win,” Bosh added, “but it would definitely have been a different series if he plays.”
That series, of course, was against a loaded Lakers squad led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And while the Heat ultimately fell in six games, they didn’t go down quietly. Butler delivered one of the most memorable Finals performances in recent memory-dropping a 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and following it up with 35 points in Game 5 to force a sixth game.
Still, the loss of Dragic loomed large. He attempted to return late in the series, gutting through limited minutes, but he was far from the player who had helped carry Miami through the East. For a veteran who had never reached the Finals before, the timing couldn’t have been more cruel.
“For him not to have that full experience, that was tough,” Bosh said. “Just to be able to play in the Finals, I don’t care where they’re playing - if it’s the Finals and the NBA, that’s a dream come true.”
Bosh also pushed back on the idea that Miami was simply happy to be there.
“I know a lot of people were writing them off and really not paying much attention to them,” he said. “But you know, when you get there, you don’t get there just to lose.
You don’t get there to say, ‘Ah, well, good season.’ I knew for sure they were going to prepare, they were going to fight until the last man standing.”
That’s exactly what they did, even as the Lakers closed the door in six. LeBron secured his fourth title and Finals MVP, but Miami’s fight-especially under those circumstances-left a lasting impression.
Since that 2020 run, the Heat have remained a factor in the East. They returned to the conference finals in 2022, narrowly losing to the Celtics in a seven-game battle. In 2023, they made it back to the Finals, only to fall to the Denver Nuggets in five games.
Along the way, the roster evolved. Dragic was eventually traded to Toronto in a deal that brought Kyle Lowry to Miami. The team reshaped itself around Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo.
Now, in 2026, the Butler-led era has come to a close, and Miami finds itself in transition. Heading into All-Star weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the Heat sit at 29-27-eighth in the Eastern Conference. They’ve advanced past the play-in round in each of the past three seasons and remain in the thick of the playoff race once again.
But Bosh’s comments serve as a reminder of just how fragile a Finals run can be. One injury.
One player. One moment.
It can change everything.
Pain is pain, as Bosh put it. But sometimes, it’s the pain that shapes a team’s identity-and fuels the next chapter.