Former Lakers Legend Convinced He Should Be in NBA Hall of Fame

Does he have a point?

Jan 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Three-time Los Angeles Lakers champion-turned-Spectrum SportsNet Lakers commentator (okay, okay, he won four titles elsewhere, too) Robert Horry was spreading the league gospel in the Phillippines earlier this month at the country’s NBA Store in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila.

Nicole Ganglani of Silver Screen And Roll was on-hand for the moment, and captured some intriguing Horry soundbites, both on the Lakers' relatively transaction-less offseason and, more interestingly, Horry's thought regarding a possible Hall of Fame nomination.

The 6-foot-10 stretch four may never have been an All-Star, but he was a critical role player on seven legendary title-winning clubs, from the Hakeem Olajuwon-era Houston Rockets to the Shaquille O'Neal/Kobe Bryant-era Lakers and finally the loathed Tim Duncan-era San Antonio Spurs.

While being honored with the league's Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2024 NBA Finals, Horry's former Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich advocated for his enshrinement in Springfield.

“He [Tomjanovich] said that for me and I shed a tear because a lot of people from the outside don’t know the sacrifices that players do to make things better,” Horry said.

"You think about so many guys that can score and do these things but they know what they need to do in order to make a team better and I think one of the things that people forget or those that don’t know basketball is that it’s called 'The Basketball Hall of Fame,' not the 'NBA Hall of Fame' and if you look at my basketball career, it speaks for itself," Horry said. "I love that Rudy T backed me up and that’s another reason why he’s my favorite coach."

Outside of being named to the 1992-93 All-Rookie Team, the Alabama product didn't earn any individual accolades across his 16-year pro career. In 1,107 career regular season contests, Horry boasts averages of 7.0 points on .425/.341/.726 shooting splits, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 dimes.

"Big Shot Bob" may have thrived a bit more in terms of his own personal output in this modern 3-point-heavy hoops era. He was not an elite player on his own, but he was an absolutely elite role player with some absolutely elite teams. The contention that Horry deserves his flowers is an interesting one, although it still seems likely to be an uphill battle for him to actually make the cut.

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