Tyler Herro, the breakout star of last summer’s NBA Bubble, looked destined for stardom. The 6’5” rookie out of Kentucky was a menace in the postseason, oozing swag with his slick ball-handling and clutch shooting against hoops powerhouses Boston and Los Angeles. Mugging for the cameras with his “snarl heard ‘round the world,” if Herro wasn’t a household name before Game 3 of last year’s Finals, he sure was after it.
Basking in his newfound celebrity, it didn’t take Herro long to capitalize on his fame, parlaying his playoff success into a cereal (HerrO’s Fruit Hoops) and even his own menu item at Chipotle. Herro was also the subject of a song by rapper Jack Harlow and cameoed in the accompanying music video.
The 21-year-old has done plenty for his brand, though his play has suffered of late. Herro’s struggles have been especially apparent over his last three games, averaging just six points on anemic 7-for-30 (23.3 percent) shooting during that span. The guard’s recent dry spell has led some, including veteran South Florida reporters Ira Winderman and Ethan Skolnick, to wonder if his off-court pursuits are getting in the way, causing an unnecessary distraction for a player still early in his NBA development.
“Tyler Herro chose to become a celebrity. He chose to become something outside the game, as is his right, with his breakfast cereal and his Tyler Tuesdays and his Chipotle bowl,” Winderman expressed on Monday’s Inside the Paint podcast. “When other players see a player doing that before they’ve truly reached it—I don’t know if I want to say there’s a jealousy—but I think the pro’s pros, when we talk about this, they sort of take a scant view of the guy and say, ‘Wait a minute, buddy. You haven’t done anything yet.’”
“Tyler has brought a lot of this on himself,” Skolnick agreed while adding that members of the Heat organization are beginning to worry about Herro’s celebrity lifestyle and how it’s affecting his performance.“Ultimately, the team starts to get a certain level of concern. In this particular case, the team has been concerned now for months. And that’s kind of where it’s at.”
While Herro continues to promote his cereal and burrito bowls ad nauseam on Twitter and Instagram, teammate Bam Adebayo recently inked an endorsement deal with Jordan, though it mostly flew under the radar. “Think about this. Bam Adebayo got his deal with Jordan brand this year. How little he’s made of that,” noted Winderman. “Other guys would blow that up in all their social media and put it in your face.”
From an outsider’s perspective, it’s impossible to tell if Herro is suffering from a lack of focus or if his sophomore struggles can be attributed to mere growing pains. Regardless, if the Heat intend on making another deep playoff run, Herro will need to rediscover the swagger that made him one of the most exciting rookies in recent memory.
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