Chris Bosh knows a thing or two about what it takes to compete on the NBA’s biggest stage. So when the Hall of Famer opened up about the 2020 NBA Finals on a recent episode of All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, his words carried weight - especially when it came to Goran Dragic’s injury and what it meant for the Miami Heat.
Bosh didn’t mince words about how tough it was to watch his former team battle through adversity inside the Orlando bubble. The moment that stuck with him most? Seeing Dragic, Miami’s veteran floor general and emotional heartbeat, sidelined after suffering a plantar fascia tear in Game 1.
“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.”
And it’s easy to understand why. Dragic had been instrumental in Miami’s Cinderella run through the Eastern Conference, carving up defenses with his savvy pick-and-roll play and timely shot-making.
He was the team’s second-leading scorer that postseason, averaging 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and a steal per game. His efficiency - 44% from the field and nearly 35% from deep - made him a constant threat in 32.5 minutes a night.
But when he went down in the opening game of the Finals against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, it changed the complexion of the series.
“Not to say they win,” Bosh added, “but it would definitely have been a different series if he plays.”
That’s not just nostalgia talking. Dragic’s ability to control tempo, create offense, and take pressure off Jimmy Butler was a key part of Miami’s identity.
Without him, the Heat leaned even more heavily on Butler, who responded with a pair of legendary performances - a 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and a 35-point effort in Game 5 to force a sixth game. Still, the Lakers closed it out in six, and LeBron walked away with his fourth ring and Finals MVP.
For Bosh, the pain wasn’t just about the loss - it was about the lost opportunity.
“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,” he said. “For [Dragic] not to have that full experience, that was tough.”
Despite the setback, Bosh was proud of the Heat’s fight. He knows the culture well - the mentality of grinding, competing, and never backing down.
“When you get there, you don’t get there just to lose,” he said. “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. And you were going to have to beat those guys.”
The Lakers did. But Miami didn’t fade away after that Finals run.
They returned to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, pushing the Boston Celtics to seven games, and made it back to the Finals in 2023 before falling to the Denver Nuggets in five. Along the way, the roster evolved - Dragic was eventually dealt to the Toronto Raptors in the Kyle Lowry trade, and the Heat retooled around Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo.
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
Now, with the Butler era officially in the rearview, Miami heads into All-Star Weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles holding a 29-27 record, good for eighth in the East. They’ve managed to avoid the play-in round in each of the past three seasons and are once again in the thick of the postseason chase.
Bosh’s reflections offered a powerful reminder: sometimes, it’s not just about wins and losses. It’s about the moments lost to injury, the what-ifs that linger, and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward.
For Goran Dragic and the 2020 Heat, the Finals were a dream within reach - one that slipped just out of grasp. But the fight they showed, even in defeat, left a mark that still resonates.