Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Takes Internet Memes, Fight Jokes In Stride

Shandel Richardson

Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro spends plenty of time on the Internet.

So he knows all about the jokes that surfaced after his altercation with Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson in Sunday's game. Herro is taking them in the stride, even laughing at himself.

Herro was thrown to the ground by Thompson.


"It's 2025, the jokes are going to happen," Herro said. "(Bleep) is gonna happen. I ain't too worried about it. The jokes are going to fly on Twitter, social media. I was laughing at it, too. It was fun."

Herro now just wants to move on from the incident.

I had no hostility toward the Rockets," Herro said. "It kind of just played out that way. I like getting under people's skin, anyway. That's what I do."

HERRO EMBRACES NICKNAME

Who says NBA nicknames for players today are bland?

Herro may have one of the best in the league. He is known as CAWB to teammates. As in Cold Ass White Boy.

Heat forward Kevin Love used it to shout out Herro after having 27 points, nine assists and six rebounds in Sunday's win against the Houston Rockets. He posted this on his Instagram page: “Scoring. Throwing dimes. Doing the whole thing." He also added the hashtag #CAWB.

Nikola Jovic also mentioned it in the postgame interview following the Heat's victory. He used it as an opportunity to push Herro for a berth in next month's NBA All-Star game in San Francisco.


"Best player today," Jovic said. "Cold white boy with 27 points. Guys, make sure you vote. He should be an All-Star. That's all I want to say."

Herro embraces the nickname. He also enjoy how teams are promoting him for the All-Star game. It would add to an already impressive season. Herro is averaging 24 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists, all career highs.

"My mom actually sent me that like right after the game," Herro said of Jovic's interview. "She was like, `You've got to see Niko's post-game interview, so it was 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here