LOOK: Former Kentucky star Tyler Herro wins prestigious NBA award
Former Kentucky WIldcats star Tyler Herro learned that he had earned one of the most prestigious awards in the NBA after his regular season performance. Herro was awarded NBA 6th Man of the Year on Tuesday, one day after a 25-point scoring effort off the bench to win Game 1 of Miami’s playoff series with Philadelphia.
Tyler Herro wins NBA 6th Man award
Herro has been one of the frontrunners for the 6th Man of the Year award all season, but on Tuesday it was revealed just how dominant he was in the race. Herro received 96 out of 100 first-place votes for the award, beating Cleveland’s Kevin Love and Phoenix’s Cam Johnson — the only two other players to receive first-place votes. He is the first Miami Heat player to win the award.
Asked to come off the bench by Miami despite his major offensive production and usage by the team is something that Herro believes speaks to the culture at Miami. Herro praised the team’s “next man up” philosophy and the trust that his teammates have in him as he spoke about receiving the award.
The moment he was informed he had won was captured by video as his teammates celebrated with him and NBA veteran Udonis Haslem made a small speech to congratulate him. The trophy itself is a special design, commemorating the NBA’s 75th anniversary celebration. The trophy is a solid crystal basketball with the NBA 75 logo etched into the center.
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In his third year in the NBA, Herro averaged 20.7 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 66 games played while starting in only 10 games. He is the fifth player to average 20 points off the bench since 1970, and the first since one of his biggest inspirations — Lou Williams.
Herro had eight games with more than 30 points off the bench, third-most since 1970. He also ranked top-30 in the NBA in free throw percentage, points per game and three-point field goal percentage. He ranked 32nd in three-pointers made this season with 175.