Miami Heat guard, Tyler Herro, tore it up in his first NBA season and in the 2020 playoffs he elevated his game even more. The self-proclaimed “bucket” has made a name for himself by hitting clutch shot after cutch shot just when his team needed him. He has played with the poise and confidence of a weathered veteran, not a 20- year-old rookie.

A Postseason for the history books 

Born on January 20th, 2000, Tyler Herro is the youngest player to start in the NBA Finals. He hasn’t just started, he has made an enormous impact. Herro is the NBA’s 8th highest scoring rookie of all time, with a total of 278 points scored, not including his 17-point game 3. He also ranks second in single-game points behind Lakers great,  Magic Johnson, after a lights out 37-point performance in game 4 of the conference finals against Boston. 

Tyler Herro and The NBA 

He might make it look easy on the court, but his path to the league has been anything but. A Wisconsin native, he committed to go to Wisconsin his junior year of high school, but before the start of his senior year, he de-committed and went to Kentucky. This did not sit well with Wisconsinites who verbally accosted Herro every chance they got. His yard was spray-painted Wisconsin red and covered with toilet paper. His car was covered with eggs, and tomatoes and hate mail was sent to his school. At just 18, Herro had gone from hometown hero to enemy number one! 

The adversity he faced in high school helped him turn into a big shot maker in college. As a Freshman, he averaged 14 points and just over two assists per game. With an outstanding freshman season, Herro entered the NBA draft and was drafted by the Heat with the 13th pick in the 2019 draft.  

A Not So Secret Weapon

So what makes Herro different than other rookies? One-word; confidence. 

“My confidence is just, that’s just who I am,” Herro said. “You can’t survive in this league if you don’t have confidence. ” he told ESPN.

His teammate, Jimmy Butler, seconded this sentiment when he told Herro after Sunday’s game 3 victory that

“We ride with you, we’re supporting you, and we’re constantly giving you confidence. There’s no shot that you’ve never seen that you don’t like, and we love you for that.”

In game 3, his swagger was on full display. After hitting a tough shot against Rajon Rondo he mean -mugged the camera, check it out. 

Take Aways 

One of the biggest lessons we can take away from this story is don’t let anyone ever tell say you’re too young. If you have a dream, go out and get it regardless of your age.

That’s it for this post. If you like what you read, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook using the buttons above. Don’t for to check out Herro in action tonight as The Heat try to even the series against the Lakers at two games a piece