| Net Worth: | $18 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Former professional basketball player |
| Date of Birth: | August 25, 1970 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 2.08 m |
About Robert Horry
With the 11th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft, small forward Robert Horry was taken by the Houston Rockets. His first four seasons were spent with the Rockets, where he contributed to championship runs in 1994 and 1995. Horry made Finals history by stealing the ball seven times in one game and making five three-pointers in a single quarter. Horry wore uniform number 25 throughout his time with the Rockets.
After Robert Horry’s birth in Harford County, Maryland, his father, Staff Sergeant Robert Horry Sr., divorced his mother, Leila, and relocated the family to South Carolina. Horry’s hometown as a child was Andalusia, Alabama. Their weekly get-togethers continued even when Robert Sr. was stationed in Georgia at Fort Benning.
Horry starred for the Tide from 1988 until 1992. He played in 133 games for the Tide, starting 108 of them. He was a key contributor to the team’s success, as they won three SEC tournaments and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice. Even in his first season as a pro, Horry showed a penchant for making big plays in the nick of time. Horry made a crucial jumper with the shot clock winding down and 33 seconds remaining in regulation of Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals against the Seattle SuperSonics to put the Rockets up 93-91.
He and Matt Bullard were supposed to join the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Sean Elliott in February of 1994, but Elliott had to back out of the deal after failing a physical due to kidney issues. As a result of their success in the 1995 NBA Finals, Horry and the Rockets won their second NBA title. Since the Rockets entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, Horry claimed that this was his favorite of his seven title victories. The Phoenix Suns acquired Charles Barkley from the Los Angeles Lakers on August 19, 1996 in exchange for Sam Cassell, Chucky Brown, and Mark Bryant.
Horry was suspended and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Cedric Ceballos on January 10, 1997, after his altercation with Ainge. Horry wore jersey number 5 because the Lakers had already retired number 25 in honor of Gail Goodrich. The ESPN journalist Bill Simmons remarked of his late-game heroics in Game 5: “Horry’s Game 5 ranks alongside MJ’s Game 6 in 1998, Worthy’s Game 7 in 1988, Frazier’s Game 7 in 1970 and every other clutch Finals performance over the years” He was 34 at the time. The Spurs won the NBA Finals in seven games, giving Horry his sixth championship ring. This was the team’s third title in seven years.
Horry started the season behind A.C. Green, but he ended up getting more playing time in the playoffs and other important games. In 2000–01, Horry was Horace Grant’s backup, but he still logged significant playing time during the postseason. On average, he scored 5.9 points in 16 postseason games for the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers. While Samaki Walker started all 82 games at power forward for the Hornets in 2001-02, Horry started 23 of them.
Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings cemented Horry’s status as a clutch performer. The Lakers relied heavily on Horry throughout the 2002–03 campaign. Horry was able to leave his contract with the Houston Rockets after the 2002–03 season. Horry joined with the San Antonio Spurs in part because he didn’t want to leave his family in Houston. In 2003–04, the Spurs won 57 games and advanced to the playoffs, where they swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games before losing in six to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The following year, San Antonio made the playoffs and ultimately won the NBA championship. In the 2005 playoffs, Horry was a key contributor, as he shot 38-of-85 from beyond the arc. After the 2006–07 season, he once again sported the number 25. Horry became a free agent following the 2007-08 season but was not signed, so that season would be his last in the professional ranks.
During his time with the Spurs, Horry won seven championships. There are only nine players in NBA history who have won seven or more titles, and he is the only one who did not play for the Celtics in the 1960s. Up to that year, 2007, Horry was one of just four players to win consecutive NBA titles with two different teams. Up until the 2008 playoffs, when he retired, he had played in 244 postseason games, making him the all-time leader and passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the process.
Summing-Up
He is one of only four players in NBA history to have won a title with three different franchises, having done it with the Houston Rockets (twice) the Los Angeles Lakers (three times), and the San Antonio Spurs (twice). For his ability to come through in the clutch during crucial moments of games, he was given the moniker “Big Shot Rob”. He is now widely recognized as one of the best clutch players and victors in NBA history. The Lakers have hired Horry to be a color commentator for the network Spectrum SportsNet.
