In game 2 of the 2020 NBA Finals (Lakers 124 – 114 Heat), 20 year old rookie Tyler Herro became the youngest player to start a NBA Finals game – a record that previously belonged to Magic Johnson.
The start came at the expense of teammate Goran Dragic who was out due to injury sustained in game 1.
Herro beats the record previously held by Magic Johnson, who in in 1980 helped the Lakers to the Finals as a rookie from Michigan State. On the day of Game 1 of that series, Johnson, was 20 years and 264 days old.
Youngest Players to Start a NBA Finals Game
- Tyler Herro: 20 years, 256 days
- Magic Johnson: 20 years, 264 days
- Tony Parker: 21 years, 18 days
- Daniel Gibson: 21 years, 105 days
- Johnny Davis: 21 years, 213 days
Tyler Herro was crucial for the Miami Heat’s blistering run up to the NBA Finals. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, he showed what he can do with averages of:
- 19.2 points off the bench
- 6.3 rebounds
- 4.8 assists
- 52% Field goal Success
- 35% 3 Pointer
When Herro scored 37 points in an Eastern Conference finals game, he became only the second rookie to do so in the last round of hte playoffs. The other player – Magic Johnson- whose 42-point clincher in the 1980 NBA Finals was the first.
A sports-journalist & Las Vegas native, Thomas lives for professional basketball, NFL, college football and Ice-Hockey. When he is not watching sports (or analyzing sports data), he can usually be found reading a book in a secluded corner. Tom is also a contributor at GamblingIndustryNews.com & Vegas-Odds.com.
