The Miami Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals, but it didn’t stop rookie guard Tyler Herro from getting compared to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
Herro, 20, had a terrific postseason, but he struggled at times shooting in the NBA Finals.
Matt Barnes, who won an NBA title with the Golden State Warriors and played with Bryant earlier in his career, explained how Herro plays similarly to Bryant.
“Please don’t take this wrong when I say this,” Barnes said. “I compare, at the end of [Game 4]… you would see Tyler miss a few shots, air ball a few shots but it really reminded me of Kobe Bryant, back when he was doing that against Utah [as a rookie]. He is learning on the biggest stage possible, playing well but still making mistakes; he is going to be a lot better for this.
“The Miami Heat is going to be a lot better for this down the road because this kid is handling pressure like no 20-year-old we’ve seen in the Finals before. I love Tyler Herro. He’s a dog. He doesn’t stop. He’s relentless. They really have a special player in Miami in Tyler Herro.”
That’s some high praise from Barnes, who clearly thinks Herro is a building block for the future. Almost anytime that you are mentioned in the same sentence as Bryant, it is a good thing.
Herro averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this postseason. He shot 43.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Bryant tragically passed away in a helicopter accident earlier this year.
If Herro were able to achieve half of the success Bryant did in his career, Miami fans would certainly take that.