Robert Horry

Robert Keith Horry is a professional basketball player who is currently retired. He was last signed with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Horry is famously known as "Big Shot Rob", for his clutch shooting during important games. He was born in Harford County, Maryland on August 25, 1970.

Horry was drafted into the NBA by the Houston Rockets in the first round, as the 11th pick during the 1992 NBA Draft. He spent the next four seasons with the Rockets as a starter, averaging a career high of 12 points per game. After a brief stint in Phoenix he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers and there he spent the next seven seasons, contributing most of the time from the bench. In 2003 he was acquired by the San Antonio Spurs and there he spent the next five seasons, contributing off the bench.

Because of his time spent on championship teams, Horry consequently has earned seven NBA championships: two with the Rockets, three with the Lakers and two with the Spurs. This rare feat tied him 4th in the "List of NBA Players with Most NBA Championship Rings".

Born in Harford County, Maryland, Horry grew up in Andalusia, Alabama. As a senior at Andalusia High School, he won the Naismith Alabama High School Player of the Year award. He attended the University of Alabama on a basketball scholarship, where he was a teammate of fellow future NBA player Latrell Sprewell.

At Alabama, Horry started 108 of the 133 games he played in and helped the Tide win three SEC tournament titles and two berths in the NCAA's Sweet 16 round. Alabama compiled a 98-36 record during his four seasons, with Horry establishing a school record for career blocked shots (282). He was selected to the All-Southeastern Conference, the SEC All-Defensive and the SEC All-Academic teams.

NBA

Houston Rockets

Horry was selected 11th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets as a small forward. He spent his first four seasons with the Rockets, helping them win the NBA Championship in 1994 and 1995. While in the Finals, Horry set the individual NBA Finals record with seven steals in a game and five 3-pointers in a quarter. During his years in the Rockets, Horry wore number 25.

In February 1994, he and Matt Bullard were traded to the Detroit Pistons for Sean Elliott, but Elliott failed a physical because of kidney problems, and the trade was rescinded. Horry has said that the trade falling through probably saved his career. Horry went on to be a key member of the Rockets' title teams and began to lay the foundations for his "Big Shot Rob" reputation with a game-winning jumper in the final seconds of Game 1 of the Rockets 1995 Western Conference Finals series vs. the San Antonio Spurs and adding a crucial basket in a 106-103 win in the NBA Finals Game 3 against the Orlando Magic.


Phoenix Suns

On August 19, 1996, Horry was traded to the Phoenix Suns along with Sam Cassell, Chucky Brown and Mark Bryant for former NBA Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley. Horry had an on-court altercation with coach Danny Ainge, during which Horry threw a towel in Ainge's face.


Los Angeles Lakers

The incident led to Horry's suspension and trade to the Los Angeles Lakers on January 10, 1997, for Cedric Ceballos. Because the Lakers had retired jersey number 25 to honor Gail Goodrich, Horry wore the number 5 instead. Horry was a member of the Lakers when they won three consecutive NBA championships (2000, 2001, and 2002), and, when the Lakers needed them most, he hit clutch playoff baskets, thus strengthening his reputation.

Over the Lakers' three-year run, Horry made a game-clinching three-pointer in at least one game in four straight playoff series (starting with the 2001 NBA Finals), but perhaps none more important than in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings. Trailing two games to one in the series and facing Game 4 in Los Angeles, the Lakers were down by as many as 24 points in the first half. Eventually, the Lakers cut the lead to 99-97 with 11 seconds to play. On the final possession, after Horry's teammates Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal missed consecutive layups, Sacramento center Vlade Divac knocked the ball away from the basket in an attempt to run out the clock. The ball bounced to Horry, who hit a three-pointer as time expired. The Lakers won Game 4 100-99 and would eventually win the series. The Lakers went on to sweep the New Jersey Nets 4-0 in the NBA Finals.

A situation similar to that Game 4 happened on March 5, 2003 in the game against the Indiana Pacers when, while the game was tied at 95, Pacers center Jermaine O'Neal swatted the inside pass for Shaquille O'Neal right to the hands of the wide open Horry who calmly swished the game-winning field goal.

In the 2003 playoffs, the Lakers were attempting to win their fourth straight NBA championship. But in Game 5 in the Western Conference semifinals against the Spurs, Horry's chance for another game-winner rattled in and out of the basket with 5 seconds left, wiping out the Lakers' rally from a 25-point deficit. Horry went 0-18 on 3-pointers in the series and the Lakers were eliminated in six games.


San Antonio Spurs

Following the 2002-03 season, Horry became a free agent. Citing concerns over family, all of whom live in Houston, Horry signed with the San Antonio Spurs. During the 2002-2003 season, the Lakers had leaned heavily on Horry. With the Spurs, coach Gregg Popovich cut Horry's minutes significantly, resulting in renewed success.

During the 2004-05 season, the Spurs reached and went on to win the 2005 NBA Finals. Horry played a significant part for the team's success, going 38 of 85 behind the 3-point line in the 2005 playoffs. In Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons, Horry provided more heroics in the fourth quarter to boost San Antonio to a win and 3-2 series lead over Detroit. After only scoring three points in the first three quarters, Horry added 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Spurs went on to win Game 5 96-95 after Horry hit a game-winning three-point shot in the final seconds. After winning the series in seven games, the Spurs won their third NBA Championship in seven seasons and Horry received his sixth championship ring. It was after this season that Horry began wearing the number 25 again (He retained number 5 upon his trade to the team).

During the 2007 NBA playoffs, Horry hip-checked Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash which resulted in a flagrant foul on Horry. During the ensuing commotion, Raja Bell was assessed a technical foul for charging at Horry. Horry was ejected from the game and suspended for Games 5 and 6. Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw who left the vicinity of the bench, were issued a suspension for Game 5. The Spurs won the two ensuing games and subsequently moved on to the 2007 NBA Championship, where they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers winning their fourth NBA title and Horry's seventh individual ring.

Over the past two postseasons, Horry was criticized for his hard fouls against Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in 2007 and David West of the New Orleans Hornets in 2008, prompting some unhappy fans to call him "Cheap Shot Rob".

After the 2007-2008 season, Robert Horry became a free agent but went unsigned, marking his last pro season.

Records

Horry collected his seventh championship as a member of the Spurs in 2007. He is one of only nine players to have won seven or more championships in the NBA, and the only one who did not play on the 1960s Celtics. Robert Horry is one of only three players to win consecutive NBA Championships with two different teams. In 2005, he joined John Salley as the only players to win NBA rings with three different teams. He is the all-time leader in playoff games played, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 2008 playoffs.

Horry is second on the all-time list of three-pointers made in the playoffs, behind only Reggie Miller. He also holds the record for three-pointers all-time in the NBA Finals with 53, having eclipsed Michael Jordan's previous record of 42. He holds the NBA Playoffs record for most three-point field goals made in a game without a miss (7), against the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals. Horry has regular season career averages of 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Notable Clutch Shots in the Playoff

May 22, 1995 | Western Conference Finals Game 1 | Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs
Horry nailed a jumper with 6.5 seconds left to give Houston a 94-93 win over San Antonio in front of over 35,000 at the Alamodome.


June 11, 1995 | NBA Finals Game 3 | Orlando Magic at Houston Rockets
With Houston up by one with 14 seconds left and the shot clock winding down, Hakeem Olajuwon kicked a pass out to Horry, who launched a three over Orlando's Horace Grant, propelling the Rockets to a 106-103 victory and a 3-0 series lead on the way to a sweep and back-to-back NBA titles.


May 6, 1997 | Western Conference Semifinals Game 2 | Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz
Horry drained all seven of his three-point shots. However, this proved to be not enough as the Lakers lost Game 2 103-101 and ultimately the series 4-1.


June 10, 2001 | NBA Finals Game 3 | Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers
With the series tied at 1-1, the Sixers were within one point with under a minute to play and with Shaquille O'Neal on the bench having fouled out for the Lakers. Brian Shaw found Horry in the corner and he drilled the three with 47.1 seconds left to give the Lakers what proved to be an insurmountable four-point lead. The Sixers never recovered.


April 28, 2002 | Western Conference First Round Game 3 | Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers
Down by two with 10.2 seconds left, Kobe Bryant drove on Ruben Patterson and kicked the ball to Horry, who hit a game-winning three.


May 26, 2002 | Western Conference Finals Game 4 | Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers
The Kings led 99-97 with two seconds left when center Vlade Divac knocked the ball out of the paint after Shaquille O'Neal missed a putback layup. The ball came to Horry, who launched a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to give the Lakers a 100-99 victory. Instead of going back to Sacramento down 1-3, the shot tied the series at 2-2 and allowed the Lakers to defeat the Kings in 7 games on their way to a third straight championship.


June 19, 2005 | NBA Finals Game 5 | San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons
Horry inbounded the ball to Manu Ginóbili who was cornered by two Pistons defenders. Ginobili returned the ball to Horry on the left wing, who then hit a three-pointer with 5.9 seconds left to give the San Antonio Spurs a 96-95 victory and a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6. Horry scored 21 points in fourth quarter and overtime to carry the struggling Spurs.


April 30, 2007 | Western Conference First Round Game 4 | San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets
The Spurs led by one with 30 seconds left when Horry hit a game-securing three-point shot, handing the Spurs their fifth straight playoff victory in Denver.