Some may like him; some may hate him. What no one can deny is that, while controversial, John Calipari has become one of the most prominent figures in college basketball history.
Calipari has taken his fair share of future NBA stars under his wing. His days with the Kentucky Wildcats saw him become one of the ‘one-and-done’s gurus, and several of his pupils are currently shining in the league.
With that in mind, NBA star Tyler Herro talked about his experience playing for him. In a recent interview with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem for ‘The OGs,’ he praised his former coach for pushing him:
Tyler Herro tips his hat to John Calipari
“He’s gonna push you, he’s gonna make you put the work in, too,” Herro said. “The work is not gonna be easy, and the things you have to go through to get to be able to be a one-and-done … really working hard, putting the time in, watching film. No shortcuts on going to class and things like that.”
Herro wasn’t the most sought-after prospect in the nation by any means. Even so, coach Calipari saw something special in him and helped mold the work ethic that made him a star in the NBA.
“He took a chance on me. I was a four-star recruit, and at the time at Kentucky he’s taking all five-stars who are one-and-done. He took a chance on me, he believed in me, so it’s hard not to follow his steps and be supporting him at Arkansas,” he added.
Fast forward to today, and everything he learned in his days in college clearly paid off. Now, he’s leading the Miami Heat in points per game, and with Jimmy Butler gone, he might be called to be their franchise player going forward.