All it took was one comment for Tyler Herro to turn the narrative around on his place on the team from a temporary rental to trade for assets later on to an important culture piece. Because in one post, Herro showed he was more similar to Bucks fans than they realized.
Herro, born and raised in Wisconsin, posted on Instagram that he'd be wearing jersey No. 42 for his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks. Asked why that number, Herro said, "My pops wore 42 and i was a Charlie bell fan growing up."
Tyler Herro explains why he’s choosing to wear no.42 for the Bucks:
— The HEAT Realm (@WadexFlash) July 6, 2026
“My pops wore 42 and I was a Charlie Bell fan growing up”
(via Herro IG) https://t.co/e9Ukiza1s4 pic.twitter.com/RORIUdIooo
Tyler Herro showed why Bucks fans should welcome him with open arms
For the uninitiated, Bell was an undrafted success story in Milwaukee from 2005 to 2010. Through five seasons and 350 games with the 414, Bell averaged 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Bucks.
His name is by no means up there in the rafters with the franchise's superstars, but Bell was a tough guard who built a decade-long NBA career on effort alone. And his name is absolutely a deep cut, which is what surprised a multitude of Bucks fans.
Perhaps it's the years he spent torching the Bucks alongside Jimmy Butler that made fans more unwilling to see Herro as one of their own. Whatever the reason is, Herro didn't waste any time endearing himself to fans of his hometown team.
It's just one post, obviously, but what this means is he's not just the guard who shot Milwaukee out of the 2020 bubble anymore. Tyler Herro is also a kid from Wisconsin who actually watched the Bucks and held onto that fandom despite seven years playing against them in South Beach.
For a Bucks fanbase processing the grief of a now-bygone Giannis era, the returns of the trade with Miami were (rightfully) scrutinized relentlessly since the moment it was announced. Is Herro enough? Is he the right centerpiece for a rebuild? Does his injury history undercut his value on a one-year deal? Those were all legitimate questions, and they're all still very much open to conclusion depending on how things play out this coming season.
But a player who picks his hometown team's number because his dad wore it and because he grew up watching an undrafted Bucks guard grind through a decade of NBA life is one who is very clearly invested in the team and its culture. That's something that doesn't show up in a stat line. And that should only mean good things for a team just about to launch its rebuild.
Tyler Herro knows what it means to be a Milwaukee Buck
Herro is a pure three-level scorer coming off an injury-shortened season and is excited for the fresh start in his hometown. The fresh start begins with 42 on his back and Charlie Bell in the explanation. For a rebuild that needs identity as badly as it needs production, that's not nothing.
Milwaukee has a new era to build. Its first new star already knows exactly who he is in this city, and he picked the perfect jersey number to prove it. The Bucks aren't getting a reluctant throw-in for Giannis Antetokounmpo here. We're getting a genuine one. And the best part is - he's shaping up to be the best player on the team if he stays in town.
Add us as a preferred source on Google