Robert Horry for the HOF (plea #2)

by grungedave on May 14, 2008 10:48 AM CDT Comment 7 comments

Last night, Robert Horry set a new milestone: Most playoff games ever (238). He surpassed the record previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I guess it helps to be a Laker for part of your career if you want to play in a lot of playoff games (?)

This is just another playoff-related record for Mr. Horry. His name is all over the record book for various things accomplished in the months of April through June. Particularly in June... or did everyone forget the dude has seven rings. Seven! (More than MJ!)

Yes, it still hurts to see Horry in a Spurs jersey. It hurts a lot. But anyway...

Sadly, because the Spurs cannot win in even-numbered years and now trail the New Orleans Hornets 3 games to 2 after losing last night, I realized that the next game the Spurs play just might be the last time we see Robert Horry in an NBA uniform. Think about that for a second.

Thursday night could possibly be the last game of Robert Horry's career.

Horry was part of the loaded draft of 1992 (Shaq, Alonzo, Laettner, Harold Miner, etc. etc.).

1992!??!?!

Horry has won championship rings in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007. Because the Spurs fear even numbers, I think it's safe to say Horry will not get ring #8 this year. And that's okay. (Just so long as Utah doesn't win a ring, I'll be fine.)

What kills me though is seeing this on ESPN this morning:

"won't get into the Hall of Fame..." Why the hell not? Why is Horry already precluded from even being considered a Hall of Famer? No, he has not been an All Star before. No, Horry does not average 20 points a game or grab 15 rebounds or some other hollow statistical marker you might deem notable. All the guy has done for 17 years is win. Win! That's what the game is about.

Put another way... every season Robert Horry has been in the NBA - his team has made the playoffs. Every. Single. Year. His bio is quite fantastic. So maybe Horry hasn't been named an All Star before... but whose career would you rather have? Robert Horry's? ... or Vince Carter's? (or even Tracy McGrady's?) Vince Carter may have been half-amazing at one time in his life, but he'd trade places with Horry immediately. So would McGrady.

So I readily acknowledge that Thursday might be the end of the career of my favorite player. All good things must come to an end sometime (like 22 game winning streaks...). Consequently, The Robert Horry for the Hall of Fame Campaign will shift into overdrive here whenever he officially hangs up the sneakers for good. Horry will forever be a Houston Rocket to me.

... nice hair, dude.

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Take Olajuwon off the Rockets and see if Robert Horry still wins. Take Kobe or Shaq away from the Lakers and see if Horry still wins. Take David Robinson or Tim Duncan away from the Spurs and see if Rob still wins. My point is that the guy has been fortunate to be playing with some stacked teams. They are championship calber teams, and not because of Robert Horry. The guy is a good role player, but the HOF is for the best of the best.

by Eric on May 14, 2008 3:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

by that very same rationale, if you take Horry off any of those championship teams... none of those teams win the ring.

Certainly not in '94 or '95. Certainly not in '00 through '02 (where Big Shot Rob nicknamed solidified). Certainly not in '05 (when Horry won Game 5 by himself). Maybe in '07... though Steve Nash will disagree.

by grungedave on May 14, 2008 3:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Why would they not have rings? Are you saying that those teams were not capable of winning a championship without Robert Horry???? I disagree with that.

by Eric on May 14, 2008 4:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Each of those teams would have lost were it not for Horry. Fat Ass couldn't win without Kobe. Olajuwon never won until Horry came along. Duncan won once before Horry ('99 never happened).

Like I said, *maybe* the '07 Spurs would have won without him, but EVERY other one of those teams would have lost without Horry.

by grungedave on May 14, 2008 4:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The Kings may very well have a championship if not for Horry. As a Rockets fan though, just the pass from Horry to Elie for the kiss of death shot in game 7 of the '95 semis excedes.

by Presley on May 15, 2008 8:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

What an interesting debate.

I'd love for Horry to get into the HOF, he's a great player. But on any of the teams he's been on, if you were picking those players in a pick up game to win a game (using a little Simmons theory here), I don't think you'd take Horry higher than 4th in any scenario. At best. So you can't really put him in the hall. As much as it kills me.

by haze on May 16, 2008 3:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Let's see...you have a guy that averages 7 PPG and less than 5 rebounds per game and he's a hall of famer just because he happened to be on winning teams? I didn't realize all those teams won BECAUSE of Horry. If I ever see Robert Horry's name in the basketball HOF next to Dream, Magic, Bird and Jordan, that'll be the day I never watch another NBA game.

by Audry on Jul 23, 2008 10:05 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs