Kevin Love Breaks Silence on Tyler Herro’s “Lucky” 3-Point Contest Win as Pat Riley’s Unusual Reaction Emerges

Kevin Love in these past few months has established himself as the Instagram meme lord. Love ruled the Jimmy Butler meme game, turning his Instagram into a comedy show about Butler’s Miami Heat drama. What made it even better? Love was right there in the locker room, playing for the same team while poking fun at the whole situation.

Even LeBron James’ comment is not safe from his humor. LeBron hit social media to show love to his new teammate, Luka Doncic, clearly pumped about linking up. But the real entertainment came when his ex-teammate, Kevin Love, slid into the comments with a self-deprecating joke. That one-liner had the four-time MVP cracking up. And now it is Tyler Herro’s turn, another of his teammates.

Under the bright lights in San Francisco, Tyler Herro put on a show and walked away as the 2025 Starry 3-Point Contest champion. He beat Buddy Hield, and Darius Garland, in the second round to emerge victorious. Herro kept it humble, admitting, “I got lucky.” He genuinely thought Buddy would drain the final five shots and steal the win.

Quickly after his teammate Love posted a clip from 8 Mile, the legendary rap battle film starring Eminem, where B-Rabbit (played by Eminem) delivers a crushing lyrical performance against his Black opponent. He captioned the post “Tyler to Buddy and the rest of the 3pt contest participants. Bring home that hardware my boy!!! #CAWB🏆👌🏻”.

8 Mile is all about Eminem, a white rapper, stepping into a world dominated by African-American music. As 50 Cent put it, “Hip hop is black music, no question, and unfortunately for some people it’s tough to accept that you have a white artist that does it better than black artists”. In a way, Herro’s moment had that same energy.

The NBA has long been a league where many players have come from the Black community, but here was Herro, a white sharpshooter, outlasting the competition and taking home the trophy.

Even Pat Riley was there to witness it. The 79-year-old stood up from his seat and put his fist in the air to celebrate the win. Even Herro spotted him. Herro told AP the moment really sank in when he spotted Pat Riley. “I was obviously happy to win, but seeing Pat up there hit different. We pointed at each other, and I know he truly believes in me. That means a lot.”

A heartfelt moment for the Heat guard as it was his first All-Star appearance. He has been giving it his all for the Heat, working throughout the Jimmy Butler saga quietly without complaining.

Pat Riley had predicted Tyler Herro’s rise

Tyler Herro could’ve headed straight to San Francisco after the Heats’ last game before the All-Star break. Instead, he flew back to Miami—because for him, this weekend wasn’t just about making his first All-Star appearance. It was about sharing the moment with his family. He wanted them all by his side, so they took the trip together.

“Just spending it with my family, getting a break,” Herro said, knowing how much this milestone meant to them, too.

It’s been quite the journey. Drafted in 2019, Herro has been at the center of countless trade rumors, from James Harden to Damian Lillard. Injuries didn’t help either, with Heat president Pat Riley even calling him “fragile.” But instead of letting it shake him, Herro locked in. He’s having a career-best season, averaging 23.9 points while staying mostly healthy. And now? He’s an All-Star.

His dad, Chris Herro, never forgot when Riley said Tyler would become one. “I didn’t forget that, and Tyler didn’t either,” Chris said. Herro knows there’s always more to prove. Years ago, he caught heat for saying he belonged in the same conversation as Luka Doncic and Trae Young. Now? He stands by it.

“I believed it then. I think you know how I feel now,” he said. For now, he’s soaking it all in. The competition can wait—this weekend is about celebrating how far he’s come.