http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4279843.html Horry won't forget Rockets Return to city gives NBA veteran mixed emotions By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Robert Horry was going through the layup line when the video screen began to role out the highlight reel of those championship seasons in Houston and he didn't know whether to feel young or old, achy or spry, happy to be looking back or sad to have to squint to see so far. Life is like that. One moment, you're a 20-something kid who can seemingly run forever and the next you're 36 and always looking for an ice pack. "To be honest, it seems like ages ago," said Horry as he continued preparing for his 15th NBA with Sunday night's 93-72 Spurs loss to the Rockets at Toyota Center. "All those years. All those miles. You've got to love the game. "But it's definitely a little harder now. Because you can't bounce back from the injuries as easy." Horry has six championship rings and still burns to add another bauble or two. Which is why in the quiet on the day after the Spurs were eliminated by Dallas in Game 7 of their epic second-round playoff series last spring, he was the one who stood in the locker room and talked to the team. "No big speech or anything," Horry said. "I just told everybody to just take care of themselves, spend time with their families and then go at it harder. "It comes from being the veteran guy. But also it comes from realizing that we let a golden opportunity slip through our hands. I feel like we have some of the best talent in the league. We all know in our hearts that we should have gone a little bit further than we did." Horry has constructed an amazing legacy by being willing to be a soldier rather than a general, a role player instead of a star. "That's how Robert's built," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. "He's very willing to handle a role on a team. But what people don't understand about him, is behind the scenes, in his own way, without the glare of the public, he's a mentor for a lot of guys. Just very quietly on his own." Quiet until the playoffs, when everything gets loud and crazy and he usually steps up. Except for last year, when age and the years maybe caught up and he had the worst shooting season of his career. Which is why he rededicated himself this summer to turning back the clock. Just maybe not as far as on the video screen. "All the time I'm meeting people who say, 'Rob, you're always gonna be a Rocket,' " he said. "I tell them I only played four years here. I played seven years in L.A. Then I go out there they show all that (championship) stuff up on the (video) board ... It brings it all back. "I guess I could understand it more if I played in this building. That would probably make it different. But there ain't nothing like The Summit. Notice I said The Summit. Not Compaq Center. It's all different now." Robert Horry smiles, looking back and still looking ahead.
If it were me, I'd always be a Rocket despite playing longer in LA. You know those Rocket championships had to be more special than the Laker ones ... surrounded by all the Kobe/Shaq/Phil hoopla. They may have managed to get alone but no way they were as close as those 2 Rocket teams. Horry will definitely go down as one of my all-time favorites. You don't see a whole lot of guys that understand their role on a team as well as Horry.
Robert Horry was my favortie player during those championship years (no offense Hakeem and Clyde), so any story about him is a favorite of mine. That being said, if I recall, Blinebury used to regularly rip on Horry in his columns while he was a Rocket. Everything from unmotivated to disappointing, etc. It made me really hate reading his columns. Now that he is gone, ol' Fran regularly sings Horry's praises. Don't know what you got until its gone...
you can thank the 94 Rockets for the Lakers/Spurs championships. It shows the quality of the 94-95 Rocket teams were legendary. We had Cassell and Horry on the same team, the most clutch players on the planet.
he did his best, every one wanted him to be Pippen. it turned out being Robert Horry and jacking up all those 3s was just fine.
Agreed. He never became the player he could have been. But when you play with Shaq/Kobe and TD, it's all good anyway. But in the playoffs he was an assasin, and that's what the Lakers & Spurs needed from him.
Always was and still is my favorite player ever. He is right..the Spurs did blow it last yr. They had that game (damn you Manu).
The most shocking thing about this article is that Robert Horry played 7 years in LA. I would have never guessed it was that long.
Those were some fun teams to watch and Horry used to dunk on everybody in those early years...he's a tribute to CD to find him in the draft along with Sam those back to back years...it's players like that along with your superstars that win championships...I'm happy for Horry because he was not highly touted coming out of college and I believe the fans wanted someone else but he was a big gamer...alas the name "Big Shot Bob." He'll do nothing all year and then wake up in time for the playoffs and kill you with the big shot when SA needs it the most...
CD was working for the Rockets as Asst Head Coach during all 4 Rockets finals appearances, but he was not GM until 1996.
Well, it's all a matter of finding your place. Either way, he would have gone with some team that had quick guards and a dominant big like how he signed with SA. That's why he forced himself out of Phoenix, and he didn't return to LA once he knew Shaq and Kobe were on the odds. Credit him for knowing his place in the game and putting himself (in the later part of his career) on teams where he could thrive.
I used to get annoyed watching him lope up the court during the regular season, but give him his due — Horry knew how to turn it on when it counted most. He's the only "lazy" player I can think of who I want taking the shot at the end of the game.
O yea a medicocre player that never lived up to his potential only has six championship rings...Give me a break! He has been one of the best clutch role players in the last 20 years! I wished the Rockets would have kept him and never done the Barkley deal...
how about Oneal Duncan and Dream being blessed that Robert Horry was there to save the day! <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CqZQ7fYavT4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CqZQ7fYavT4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Mark Madsen has three championship rings. I'd take Mark Eaton over Madsen. I think he's saying that Horry should/could have been a greater player. Same as Shaq. If he wasn't a lazy fat ass, and worked on his shooting, and conditioning, he should have gone down as the greatest/dominant player to ever play the game.
