As some of the NBA’s best shooters, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson are going to draw a lot of attention on the defensive end. But as Herro indicated on “The Old Man & The Three” with J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter, he believes there might be another motive for why he and his teammate have been targeted so heavily by opposing offenses in the fourth quarter: the color of their skin.
Redick: “I’ve experienced this in my own life, but in the fourth quarter of games, did you feel like, because you’re white with short arms, teams would target you defensively?
Herro: “Yeah, yeah. I mean, me and Duncan know at this point, like going into the game, they’re coming at us no matter what. We could be playing the best defense in the world, they’re still going to come at us.”
Tyler Herro on constantly being targeted on defense for being white 😂 pic.twitter.com/YquQrpWycd
— Shuffle NBA (@shufflenba) December 7, 2020
There is still a stigma in the NBA that white basketball players are somehow more limited in their basketball abilities. Robinson and Herro are probably just the most recent players to fall victim to that stereotype.
Both players have proven their worth and value to the league, helping Miami reach the Finals in a twist many didn’t see coming. No matter what their limitations are on the court, the pair are not to be taken lightly.
Considering what they were able to do in 2019-20, something says the league has already been put on notice.
