Big Shot Christian? Robert Horry's son a key ‘3-and-D’ player for Harvard-Westlake boys basketball

“He means everything to us. He’s been the backbone of our team defensively.”

HILLSBORO — On a star-studded Harvard-Westlake team, Christian Horry is the glue that holds it all together. 

The 6-foot-2 senior shooting guard got to learn the nuances of giving a team what it needs from one of the best to ever do it. 

Horry is the son of Robert Horry, who is widely considered to be one of the best clutch-performing role players in NBA history. Nicknamed “Big Shot Bob,” Horry won seven NBA championships in his 16 seasons in the league. He was adept at fitting in seamlessly next to superstars like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon.

“One of the main things with my dad is he puts no pressure on me,” Christian Horry said. “He’s like, ‘If you want to play basketball or if you don’t want to play basketball, I’m here for you. I’m just going to support you in whatever you want to do.’ 

“There have been times where my confidence has been down and he’s been there to pick me back up and get in the gym with me. That’s the biggest thing. Whenever I’m going through a shooting slump or something like that, he takes me to the gym and breaks it all down to the basics. He’s been great for my progression.”

Robert Horry made several memorable shots during his NBA career. One of the most famous came in Portland during the first round of the 2002 playoffs.

With the Los Angeles Lakers leading the five-game series 2-0 but trailing 91-89 late in Game 3, Bryant dribbled into the lane and found an open Horry in the right corner. As he often did, Big Shot Bob buried the corner 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to end Portland’s season.

“Yeah, I’ve seen that one a lot because I used to watch my dad’s highlights all the time on YouTube,” Christian Horry said while laughing. “He loves to show me them, too, so I’ve seen it a lot.

“It’s the weirdest thing because it’s just weird to see that that’s my dad. Like, the guy I always see at home, he was actually an NBA player hitting clutch shots. It’s really crazy to think about, and I’m proud to be his son.” 

Christian Horry doesn’t get as much attention as four-star teammates Robert Hinton, Nikolas Khamenia and Trent Perry, but the two-way senior is a valuable member of Harvard-Westlake’s starting lineup. He had 13 points in his Les Schwab Invitational debut and scored 11 more Thursday in a 77-43 quarterfinal win over Southridge.

Just like his dad, Christian Horry is a strong defender and 3-point shooter. He is 6 for 8 from beyond the arc at Liberty High School while playing strong on-ball and help defense. 

“He means everything to us,” said Perry, a USC signee. “He’s like the glue guy, 3-and-D. He’s been the backbone of our team defensively.” 

Christian Horry said he’s expanded his role with Harvard-Westlake over the years and is now a bigger focus of the team’s offense. The Wolverines are ranked 15th nationally in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25, and Horry is an invaluable piece for the reigning California Open Division champions. 

“I’ve mainly been trying to be a better scorer this year and distribute the ball better as well,” he said. “But yeah, I feel like that’s one thing (my dad and I) can most definitely connect to. He can give me advice because he was a role player on a high, high-level team, and I’m a role player on a high-level team in high school. It’s really good and he helps me out with it.” 

Photos by Naji Saker

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