Miami Heat president Pat Riley has had his fair share of disagreements with players over the years. The most recent drama involved Jimmy Butler. Back in May 2024, Riley made some comments about guard Tyler Herro, referring to him as “fragile.”
Herro broke his right hand in the first round of the 2023 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, which caused him to miss several games. In the 2023-24 NBA season, he played only 42 games due to injuries. This led Pat Riley to refer to him as “Fragile.” However, in a recent interview with Anthony Chiang, Herro reflected on how he responded to Riley’s public challenge.
“I’m a perfectionist in my own way. I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m fragile or I haven’t played as many games. I’m aware of what’s going on. I know I missed the last two seasons, with the hand injury and half the season last year. I’ve seen the comments coach Riley said. In my own world, I was going to try to play more games on my own either way. I took his words, obviously, into consideration and used it as motivation as I always do,” Herro said.
Tyler Herro on Pat Riley’s “fragile” comments from May:
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) January 14, 2025
“I’m a perfectionist in my own way … I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m fragile or I haven’t played as many games. I’m aware of what’s going on. I know I missed the last two seasons, with the hand injury and half the… pic.twitter.com/PmaMXu2qYB
Despite Riley’s comments, Herro refused to let negativity distract him. Instead of succumbing to doubt, he used those remarks as motivation to fuel his determination.
Herro Plans To Take The Court For 70+ Games This Season
This season, Herro has fully committed himself to the team, investing every ounce of energy and effort into his performance. He has played all 38 games for the Miami Heat this season and is currently averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. In a recent interview with Anthony Chiang, Herro mentioned that he aims to play over 70 games this season.
“I’m trying to play over 70, 75 games, for sure. Obviously, if I can play all 82, I’ll play 82. But I’m just trying to be as healthy as possible.” Herro said.
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The Heat currently hold the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 20-18 record. They will play their next game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
