Tyler Herro Reveals Surprising Reason for Poor Postseason Play

Getty Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat is seen during an interview on media day at FTX Arena

Tyler Herro had an impressive year in the 2021-22 NBA regular season. The Miami Heat guard averaged over 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists and earned the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. Herro recently sounded off on his season last year and that he believed he should have been an All-Star but was snubbed. This year Herro has his eyes set on February’s All-Star game. However, the last time we saw Herro was in the playoffs when he didn’t have a particularly strong performance. 

Herro struggled in the postseason. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Herro averaged a meager 9 points per game while shooting only 37% from the field. The Heat guard recently spoke out about his playoff performance and why he may have struggled.

Tyler Herro Sounds Off on Postseason Struggles

Herro joined 790 The Tickets radio show ‘Tobin and Leroy show‘ and discussed with Brandon Tobin and Leroy Hoard about everything from starting with the Heat, his friendship with Victor Oladipo, and his struggles in the postseason, to which he revealed a surprising possible reason for it. 

“I had my groin injury. That was one thing, but that happened later in the playoffs. I still wasn’t playing well at the beginning of the playoffs. I think part of it had to do with finding out I’m having another kid. That was a lot mentally. It was just the timing of it, but it is what it is, and I’m back ready to hoop, and obviously, the playoffs didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but it’s another year and another crack at it.”

Herro’s reasoning involving the news that he would be having a second kid comes after rumors that he cheated on his longtime girlfriend Katya Elise Henry. Soon after the Heat were eliminated from the playoffs, Henry was seen posting photos that implied that Herro had cheated on her around the same time she scrubbed any photos of him off of her social media accounts. However, less than two weeks later Herro and Henry shared a joint social media post announcing their pregnancy with their second child. 

The timeline of Herro finding out around the same time his relationship was at a rocky point before cheating allegations, does help give a possible answer to his poor play. Another could come from Herro’s dad already being publicly upset with Herro having his first child so young. 

Herro’s Father Didn’t Talk to His Son After Learning Henry Was Pregnant With First Child

In April, Chris Herro told ESPN’s Israel Gutirrez that he struggled with frustration and anger after Herro first told him he was expecting a child at age 21 with Henry.

Chris Herro “couldn’t speak when Tyler gave him the news, so he put Herro’s mother, Jen, on the phone,” Gutierrez wrote. As a father of three boys, including sons Miles and Austin, both of whom are looking to follow in Tyler’s footsteps, “and fully invested in the career of his eldest,” Gutirrez noted, “Chris’ initial response was that of concern.”

Herro’s father continued with Gutierrez expressing that his son wasn’t ready for a kid and should have more of a focus on his career, but then came around to be there for his son. 

“At the time he’s 21, it’s like, ‘What are you doing?” Chris Herro recalled. “You’re not ready for a baby. You should be worrying about your career.’ As a young dad himself, Chris Herro eventually came around. But then you take a step back and you have to be there for him. And then you learn from those decisions.”

Herro insists he is ready for the upcoming season as Henry continues her pregnancy and Herro hopes to play at an All-Star level in the upcoming Heat campaign.