Robert Horry

He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played for the Boston Celtics of the 1950s and 1960s.

He is one of only four players to have won NBA championships with three teams; he won two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the San Antonio Spurs with no defeats in NBA Finals.

He holds the NBA record for most three-point shots made in an NBA playoff game without a miss and the record for most steals in an NBA Finals game.

Horry now works as a commentator on Spectrum SportsNet for the Lakers.

Robert Keith Horry (born August 25, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and current sports commentator.

He earned the nickname "Big Shot Rob", because of his clutch shooting in important games; he is widely considered to be one of the greatest clutch performers and winners in NBA history.

Robert Keith Horry was born on August 25, 1970, in Harford County, Maryland.

Soon afterwards his father, Staff Sergeant Robert Horry Sr., divorced his mother, Leila, and moved to South Carolina.

Horry grew up in Andalusia, Alabama.

Later, when Robert Sr. was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, the father and son met weekly.

As a senior at Andalusia High School, Horry won the Naismith Alabama High School Player of the Year Award.

Horry attended the University of Alabama, where he played college basketball for Coach Wimp Sanderson, and he was a teammate of fellow future NBA player Latrell Sprewell.

At Alabama, Horry played from 1988 to 1992.

He started 108 of the 133 games he played and helped the Tide win three Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament titles and twice reached the NCAA's Sweet 16 round.

Alabama compiled a 98–36 record during his four seasons.

He set 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.

Years later Horry returned to the university to finish his degree and graduated in spring 2021.

Horry was selected 11th overall in the 1992 NBA draft in the first round by the Houston Rockets as a small forward.

In Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals against the Seattle SuperSonics, he nailed a clutch jumper with the shot clock expiring and 33 seconds left in regulation to put the Rockets up 93–91.

The Rockets, however, lost in overtime.

He spent his first four seasons with the Rockets, helping them win the NBA Championship in 1994 and 1995.

While in the Finals, he set an individual NBA Finals record with seven steals in a game.

During his years with the Rockets, Horry wore number 25.

Horry's clutch tendencies were apparent as early as his rookie year.

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, so the trade was rescinded.

Horry 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 build his "Big Shot" reputation with a game-winning jumper with 6.5 seconds left in Game 1 of the 1995 Western Conference Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs and hitting a three to put Houston up 104–100 with 14.1 seconds left in a 106–103 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic.

Following the victory at the 1995 NBA Finals, Horry and the Rockets won their second NBA Championship.

Horry said that out of his seven championship victories, this was the one he was the most proud of because the Rockets were the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

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 been criticized in Houston for not taking enough shots and felt that was what prompted the Rockets to trade him.

After joining the Suns, he had an on-court altercation with coach Danny Ainge, during which Horry threw a towel at Ainge.

The incident with Ainge 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, He wore the number 5 instead.

On May 6, 1997, he set the NBA record for most three-point shots made in an NBA playoff game without a miss (7).

During the 1999–2000 season, Horry played behind A.C. Green, but frequently garnered more minutes off the bench than the starters, especially during the playoffs.

In the 2000 Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers took a 2–1 lead into Game 4 in Indiana.

The game went into overtime.

Shaquille O'Neal fouled out, but Kobe Bryant led a run to seal the Laker victory.