Tyler Herro wrote about 14 things he learned during his first year in the NBA

Tyler Herro’s rookie season was impressive even by former Kentucky player standards.

The Miami Heat sharpshooter and one-time Wildcat was a fan-favorite down in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, playing a key role in his team’s run to the NBA Finals where they would ultimately lose to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Had injuries to Heat stars Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Goran Dragic not factored into the series, Miami might be the ones entering the new season hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Herro experienced more than most do during his introductory season into the big leagues. He shined in the early stages of the year, dropping more than a handful of 20-plus scoring outings. He was eventually named to the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend, but an ankle injury sidelined him throughout February and into the eventual suspension of the NBA season. When things resumed months later in June and inside an enclosed, quarantined environment, Herro walked on the floor looking like a man who just spent an entire offseason recovering and training for the playoffs.

In 21 postseason appearances, Herro averaged 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on a shooting split of 43.3/37.5/87.0 while playing over 33 minutes per game. 37 points in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics set a new career-high, and he started in five of the Heat’s six NBA Finals games in place of the injured Dragic.

Herro also started dating an Instagram model, had a hit song named after him, and got turned into a meme after one nasty snarl. To say he unearthed a lot about himself over the last 18 or so months would be a vast understatement, but he’s still the same overconfident ballplayer who’s been proving doubters wrong his whole life.

Over at The Player’s Tribune, Herro dipped his pen to detail 14 things he learned during his rookie season.

👋 @raf_tyler did a Players' Tribune.https://t.co/YjyOv1x3w7

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) December 8, 2020

Herro gives us an inside look at what life was like for the 19-year old joining a Miami Heat culture known for extreme conditioning and tireless workers. He talks about his thoughts after getting drafted and playing in Summer League, how NBA League Pass enhanced his game while he sat out with an injury, and how his 37-point game against Boston was all about trust by the franchise.

Here’s a snippet from one of my favorite sections.

We were jacked for Game 5 [against the Milwaukee Bucks], after losing Game 4. We were ready ready. I mean — this will sound like I’m joking, but I’m dead serious: we’d have played another game that night if they’d let us. Dead serious. If they had let us, we’d have played a doubleheader. And for me, that right there, it just tells you all you need to know about our group.

Go check out the entire article when you can. There’s no faking it with this dude. Every word he wrote comes off as genuine. The Heat got themselves another good one out of Lexington

[Player’s Tribune]