Interview with Robert Horry: 'NBA has Misconception that Big Men Must Also Shoot Threes'
Only one player who didn't play for that legendary Boston Celtics team has more than six NBA Championship rings. And he's won seven with three different teams.
Robert Horry - an NBA champion with the Houston Rockets (1994 and 1995), the Los Angeles Lakers (2000 to 2002), and the San Antonio Spurs (2005 and 2007) - was arguably one of the key role-players in all these title-winning sides.
The former player-turned-commentator was in India to promote the NBA and the season-opening games of the 2018/19 season and offered his opinion during the pre-game analysis on Sony Ten 1.
Sportskeeda caught up with the legend and spoke to him about his career and his time with the franchises he won rings with. One could argue that, despite the number of talents in each of these teams, Horry's presence went a long way in securing all those rings.
But which Championship win did he enjoy the most in his 16-year career?
"I think the 1995 championship win was more special than the other six because we were a team that was the sixth seed," Horry said. "And we were able to do some special things in that series on our way to the title where we swept the Orlando Magic. So that was a very special moment."
The rescinded trade that worked out
Those two Championship wins with the Houston Rockets may never have come to pass had a potential trade not fallen through. In 1994, Horry and Matt Bullard were nearly traded to the Detroit Pistons for Sean Elliot.
However, Elliot failed the physical and it was later revealed that he had a problem with his kidney. The trade was rescinded and Horry stayed. The rest, as they say, is history.
"I think my whole career would have gone down a whole different path. I don't think the Rockets would have won a Championship because Sean Elliott and I brought different things to the table.
"I think, for me, it allowed me to grow more as a player because I was in a young team and we didn't have a star and I'd be called upon to do more things and that required me to cultivate my game over the summer.
"But it worked out best for both of us and we won a couple of championships and I had a great career!"
A great career indeed. But as he said, Horry had to adapt to the needs of the team. At the 1992 NBA draft, he was drafted as a small forward. But as the seasons wore on, Horry was transformed into a power forward as he bulked up and made his 6 ft 9 in frame useful. Moreover, his time at the University of Alabama had also helped shape his career.
"The transition was different because it was hard at first because true power forwards play in the post before they transferred to outside the post.
"It wasn't really difficult because I played as a center in college and I was used to playing in the paint. So it was pretty much a smooth transition."
Having played for the Lakers and the Spurs in two dominant dynasties, Horry has worked with both Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich who have won a combined 16 Championships as head coach. But what was the fundamental difference between the two coaches?
"They were pretty much identical. They had this system that they put in for people and used players that worked for their system.
"Phil Jackson would fit his players into the system - the Triangle Offense - while Pop did not have any name for his system even though it was identical. One had a name and one didn't!"
'Big Shot Rob'
Whatever the system, Horry made himself useful. And the last thing opposition teams wanted to see was the ball falling to Horry stationed behind the perimeter arc. His clutch plays were the stuff of legend and he even earned the nickname 'Big Shot Rob'.
Horry still laughs about it. "It was Craig Kilborn from ESPN who was one of the first guys to call me that. And then it kind of spread like wildfire after that!"
So which game-winning shot is his favourite?
"Actually, I have so many that are my favourite. The Sacramento shot that everyone knows, obviously. There was a shot with the San Antonio Spurs..." He pauses and recollects another.
"I even had a shot when I was a rookie that took us into overtime when I was playing with the Houston Rockets against Seattle in the playoffs that nobody even talks about.
"There are a lot of shots that are among my favourites so I can't just pick one because then that's the one everybody knows me for."
Of course, we had to talk about that 'Sacramento shot'. It was in the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings - one of the closest Conference Finals in history with four games decided in the final seconds and Game 7 decided in overtime.
With the Kings leading the series 2-1 and by two points in the finals seconds of Game 4, the Lakers had time for one last play. Kobe Bryant attempted a lay-up and missed... Shaquille O'Neal grabbed the rebound and saw his attempt come off the rim...
In an attempt to wind down the clock, Kings' center Vlade Divac swatted the ball away. Unfortunately for the Kings, the ball fell to Horry behind the 3-point arc. He nailed the shot and Staples Center exploded.
The Kings, who had a 24-point first half lead simply couldn't believe what they had just seen and Divac even said it was pure luck, to which Horry had then retorted that Divac should read more about him because he had been doing that his entire career.
The Lakers would eventually win the series and, in hindsight, it was a turning point that saw them accomplish the three-peat. But just how did the Lakers claw their way back into the game and, in turn, the series?
"As the defending champions, you have a lot of confidence in your ability at home. That's the one thing you know about the Lakers - we were never short on confidence. We were a very cocky team and we felt like we had the ability to beat anybody at home.
"That's what happened in that game. We just kept playing hard because we knew that the Sacramento Kings were a team that had a lot of runs where they either scored a lot of points or they didn't score a lot of points. We just had to be patient."
7 rings but no spot on the Hall of Fame?
After Horry retired, there has been a heated debate about whether he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Some say his contributions and his seven rings should see him get a spot. Others feel he has not done enough to be named alongside the game's greats.
But that's just the thing about Horry and his role in various teams. He was asked to play a certain role and he would deliver according to the needs of the team. He may not have started games but there were many occasions when he clocked more minutes than the starters.
However, it is something that does not bother Horry at all. In fact, he loves the debate more than actually getting into the Hall of Fame.
"No, it doesn't bother me. The funny thing is it bothers my friends and family more than it bothers me!
"For me not to be in the Hall of Fame, people are always going to talk about you. Once you go into the Hall of Fame, people forget about you," he says with a laugh." So I will always be debated."
With big men, if it ain't broke then don't fix it
While Horry was a gifted clutch-play three-point shooter, the game has slowly moved away from such players with guards ruling the back-court. Players like Steph Curry have obliterated three-point records. So has it forced taller players to also move out of their comfort zone and attempt long-range jumpers?
"For me, that is the biggest misconception of all. If you look at guys like [Joel] Embiid who kills in the post for 10 or 12 trips down the floor and the next thing you know he's shooting a three-pointer. Why?
"You're doing some great work in the post, so just keep at it! If it ain't broke then don't fix it. Everyone shouldn't be defined as a player who can shoot threes. Look at Clint Capela; he got one of the biggest contracts ever even though he's a guy that doesn't shoot threes."
'LeBron can take the Lakers to the Playoffs'
With the 2018/19 season getting underway this week, Horry is quite sure about who could be competing for the finals come mid-2019.
"I think it's going to be the Toronto Raptors winning the East and the Golden State Warriors in the West. I think they're going to meet in the final."
And what are his predictions for the Most Valuable Player (MVP)?
"The NBA has a trend of always giving it to someone new. Kevin Durant has won it, James Harden has won it, LeBron James has won it... I think this season we could see it awarded to someone like Kawhi Leonard or Anthony Davis."
LeBron James has seen and won it all and now starts a new adventure with Horry's former team, the Lakers. It's been five years since the 16-time champions have qualified for the playoffs. Can they get there with James leading the side now?
"Oh, he definitely will take the Lakers to the playoffs. Even if he wasn't there I think the Lakers could make the playoffs. Adding him to the team makes them that much better.
"LeBron has taken teams that shouldn't have even been in the playoffs to the Finals! He's a dynamic player that can cause a lot of havoc."
Also Read: How many rings does Robert Horry have?