MIAMI – Before the Miami Heat were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, there was an interesting quote said by Tyler Herro involving Jimmy Butler that made a lot of the basketball world do a double-take. In an article released by The Athletic, the Heat star Herro would say that he ‘needs' Butler to win, which he later clarified that the quote was taken out of context on social media.
Speaking to the media during Wednesday's exit interviews, Herro would be asked to clarify the situation, responding that it's out of his character to say that he needs someone to win games. Plus, he would emphasize how the question he was responding to was speaking about the time during the drama with Butler, where he wasn't the clear No. 1 option.
“Yeah, I cleared it up this morning. I think everyone has seen that. It was obviously taken out of context,” Herro said. “I was asked a question after Game 2, I believe. But the question was asked as if it was February or January or December, when that stuff was going on. I would never, I don't care if we're 0-82, I would never come out and say, I need someone else to win. That's just my personality. That's who I am as a competitor. I think I can do it, obviously, with my teammates and my coaching staff, but I would never come out and say, I need somebody to win in this league.”
Heat star Tyler Herro's quote in The Athletic read, “I need Jimmy to win”
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There's no doubt that the Heat's first-time All-Star has made immense strides this season, resulting in his best year in the pros, taking the mantle as the No. 1 scoring option on the team. Looking at the exact quote in question in The Athletic, it was taken before Game 3 of the series against Cleveland.
“Obviously, I know I need Jimmy to win. If we had Jimmy right now, I feel like it’d be a completely different situation,” Herro said via The Athletic. “We probably wouldn’t even be the eighth seed. So finding that middle balance of like, damn, we need him, but also understanding, sh–, that’s his career and what he wants is ultimately his right to want what he wants. It was just tough to be in the middle of both sides.”
Herro would take to his second Instagram account, which can be found in the bio section of his main account, on Wednesday morning, and put out a statement explaining how the quote is taken out of context.
“Dude asked me a question in the timeframe of Jan-Feb when the ‘Jimmy saga' was happening,” Herro wrote. “I said I had came into the season thinking I was playing off of Jimmy, to him getting [traded] and I had to switch my mindset from needing Jimmy to me being the lead guy, and I spoke about the things I learned from JB. Never said I need anyone to win games.”
At any rate, Herro looks to bounce back after back-to-back rough performances in the playoffs and return to his All-Star status next season.
