Tyler Herro, the talented shooting guard from the Miami Heat, made history this Saturday by being crowned the NBA All-Star Triple Contest Champion. In a stunning upset, he left Damian Lillard, the two-time defending champion from the Milwaukee Bucks, in the dust. But what’s even more impressive is that Herro’s win brings back memories of two NBA legends – Larry Bird and Craig Hodges. So, what made this year’s competition so special?
Only two players have achieved the incredible feat of winning the triple contest in consecutive years: Larry Bird, who did it from 1986 to 1988, and Craig Hodges, who won it from 1990 to 1992. This year, eight talented players competed, but only three made it to the final round. These top contestants were Buddy Hield from the Golden State Warriors with an impressive 31 points, Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers with 24 points, and Herro with 19 points.
The two-time champion, eliminated at first
The competition was fierce, and some big names didn’t make the cut. Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson from the New York Knicks were just one point away from advancing, but unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round with 18 points each. Other players who didn’t make it to the final round included Cade Cunningham from the Detroit Pistons with 16 points, Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets with 14 points, and Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers, also with 14 points.
In the final round, Herro started strong, hitting 24 points, while Garland struggled to maintain his momentum from the first round and ended with 19 points. Meanwhile, Buddy Hield, who had the hometown advantage playing at the San Francisco Chase Center, got off to a rocky start, missing his first seven attempts. However, he made a remarkable comeback, but it wasn’t enough, and he finished with 23 points. In the end, Herro’s impressive performance earned him the win, and he was crowned the new King of Triple in the All-Star. It’s interesting to note that Hield had a lot of support from the crowd, but it seems that Herro’s skills and dedication paid off in the end. So, can he follow in the footsteps of Bird and Hodges and become a consecutive winner? Only time will tell.