Editorial

Charles Barkley And Grant Hill Forced To Use Oxygen Masks To Combat Denver Altitude During NBA Finals Pregame Show

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The Miami Heat were steamrolled by the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals due to the altitude, and it also had Charles Barkley using an oxygen mask. [Twitter/Screenshot/Public — @TomerAzarly]

[Twitter/Screenshot/Public — @TomerAzarly]

Andrew Powell Sports and Entertainment Blogger
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The altitude in Denver really is no joke.

As we all saw Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets blew the Miami Heat out of the water, 104-93, to get the Game 1 win to go up 1-0 in the 2023 NBA Finals. And one of the main reasons for that is Denver’s altitude. It’s obvious that Miami was affected, looking exhausted and out of sync the entire game. And that altitude could be a top contributor to the Nuggets winning the title.

But my Heat weren’t the only ones shook by the altitude, so were two Hall of Famers — Charles Barkley and Grant Hill.

The pair were doing coverage for NBA TV’s pregame show before Game 1’s tip-off and at one point during a commercial break both Barkley and Hill were forced to put on oxygen masks to combat the Denver altitude.

It’s a funny scene, but it truly shows you how intense things can be to the human body in Colorado.

I completely expected the altitude to be an issue for my Miami Heat, and it was. We got rolled in Game 1. But I’m not mad about it all, I knew we were going to lose that game.

And it’s no big deal. I expect Miami to bounce back and win Game 2 (they’ll be adjusted to the altitude by then), and if they do, they’ll instantly have home court advantage. I’m not even sweating this loss.

You could tell the Heat were messed up, so I gotta let ’em slide. We’ll get ’em Game 2.

And it’s like I tweeted:

Now onto Saturday for my Florida Panthers’ Game 1! (NHL Stanley Cup Final) (RELATED: REPORT: Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler Files Epic ‘Himmy Buckets’ Trademark That Will 100% Have Him Rolling In Cash)

Go Cats!