It remains somewhat unclear what led to the altercation between former Miami Heat teammates Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo on Friday, but the general consensus seems to be that Herro deserves a lion’s share of the blame for whatever did go down.
Herro was the subject of some unflattering comments after the fight, with many operating under the assumption that he was responsible for whatever happened. Players and coaches told Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports that Herro has a reputation for being someone who is cocky and antagonistic toward opponents, and is known for trying to rile them up and implying he will fight them. One anonymous figure told Iko that Herro’s behavior with Adebayo sounded like the “same boring tough-guy s—.”
There is a growing belief among those close to the Heat that Herro was not happy with Adebayo’s silence during the wave of offseason trade rumors suggesting he would be traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Herro felt that Adebayo did nothing publicly or privately to reinforce Herro’s value to the Heat.
Herro’s reputation as an agitator is no secret, and he was involved in multiple on-court confrontations during the season. On the other hand, it was quite obvious that if the Heat wanted to pair Adebayo with Antetokounmpo, Herro would have to be involved in any trade.
Reports suggested that Adebayo punched Herro when the two crossed paths in Las Vegas on Friday. Herro supposedly said something to Adebayo that provoked the Miami center, though specifics remain scarce.
