Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker had some high praise for Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro after Phoenix’s win over Miami on Wednesday.
Herro and Booker have been friends for some time now, and they both attended the University of Kentucky, although they didn’t play on the same team there.
“Booker and the Heat’s rising star, Tyler Herro, have been friends since before Herro set foot on campus at the University of Kentucky – Booker’s alma mater,” The Athletic’s Joe Vardon wrote. “Herro said Booker called him before he made it to school, and Herro has sought and received mentorship from Booker. ‘Kentucky mafia fraternity,’ [Erik] Spoelstra called it. The fun part came at the end of the first half when Herro blew a layup that would have tied the game, and Booker let him know about it before the teams went to the locker rooms.”
Booker helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals last season, and the superstar has really appreciated seeing Herro’s growth in his third season in the NBA.
“That’s just what we do,” Booker said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him and for what he’s doing.”
Herro is having a breakout campaign in the 2021-22 season, as he is averaging a career-high 20.7 points per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from beyond the arc. Herro is also putting up 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season.
It’s clear that Herro’s play has caught the attention of his peers around the league, and the Heat guard is on a similar trajectory to Booker, who really broke out in his third season in the NBA when he averaged 24.9 points per game.
However, in Herro’s case, he’s doing it for a top team in the Eastern Conference this season in Miami. The third-year guard has accepted a bench role, and he has thrived as arguably Miami’s most consistent scoring option outside of Jimmy Butler this season.
The Heat are currently 44-23 and hold a two-game lead in the Eastern Conference. As Herro continues to make a leap as a player, the Heat are going to reap the benefits this season.
