Tyler Herro Congratulates Former Kentucky Teammate P.J. Washington For Making NBA Finals

Shandel Richardson | May 31, 2024

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro has a player he can root for in the NBA Finals.

When the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday, it meant a Finals appearance for P.J. Washington. Herro and Washington were teammates at Kentucky before being lottery picks in the 2019 draft.

Washington was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, where he never won more than 43 games or made the playoffs. In February, Washington was traded to the Mavericks to play alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

After clinching a berth in the Finals, Washington held an Instagram live session with fans. Herro was among those to chime in about Washington's good fortunes.

Here's what Herro replied: "how you go from Charlotte to the finals, you really made it out the mud with this one."

Washington has been a key contributor in the Mavs run in the postseason. He's averaging13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists, becoming their No. 3 scoring option. The Mavs face the Boston Celtics in the Finals. The Celtics eliminated the Heat in the first round. The Heat were playing without injured starters Terry Rozier and Jimmy Butler.

The run allows Washington to catch Herro in Finals appearances. Herro played in the 2020 series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat made the Finals last year but Herro was sidelined with a broken wrist. The Heat lost in five games to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com