Is Robert Horry an Anomaly in the NBA? Exploring Lakers Legend’s 7 Championships Run

Winning a championship is the ultimate goal for any NBA player. Although people think of the greatest players as some of the biggest winners in the NBA, an outlier who has won more championship rings than even the great Michael Jordan is Robert Horry. Big Shot Rob played 16 seasons in the NBA. After getting drafted in 1992, Horry went on to win 7 championships in total with three different teams.

Although he was never a star player in the league, there are many factors that helped Horry achieve this tremendous record. But one thing that helped him in his quest was that he was always at the right place at the right time. Let’s take a look at Horry’s path to NBA immortality.

Everything fell into place for Robert Horry

Robert Horry was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 1992. His first two championships came in his second and third seasons in the league with the team. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were on top of the NBA in the early 1990s. But after winning three championships in a row, Jordan decided to retire from the NBA.

This opened up the way for other teams in the NBA. And the team that capitalized on this was the Houston Rockets. With Hakeem Olajuwon playing as one of the best players in the league, the Rockets went on to win back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995.

The next season, Horry was traded to make way for Charles Barkley to come to Houston. A few months later, in January of 1997, Horry was traded from the Suns to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had just acquired Shaquille O’Neal a few months prior.

During his first three seasons with the Lakers, Horry gained the trust of his team and showed everyone that he is someone who can face the big moments. The team as a whole got better over the next two years. Shaquille O’Neal became the most dominant player in the league, and Kobe Bryant also elevated himself into the superstar category.

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Horry was just the right complementary piece for any team hoping to win a championship. He didn’t demand the ball, he played defense and made clutch shots for the team whenever he was called upon.

After signing Phil Jackson as head coach in 1999, the Lakers went on to have a legendary three-year run. They are the last team in the NBA to have a three-peat. Horry contributed to the team’s winning and even made many clutch shots that helped the team win those championships. Unfortunately, his loyalty was not well rewarded.

The Lakers’ disservice helped Horry cross the mark

After the 2002-03 season, Horry’s contract was coming to an end, and he was up for an extension. During an interview with Complex, he revealed that the year prior, when the Lakers won the championship, he told them that he would come back for half the money that he was already making. Horry also told them that if it was not possible, they should help find a suitable trade for him.

Although the team was not interested in bringing him back, the Lakers at the time told him that they would take care of him. But they waited until the last moment and released him two days before his contract ended. This meant that most teams had already signed new players, and there wasn’t enough money for him. Horry said that he hated the team when he left because of this.

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After looking at his options, Horry signed with the San Antonio Spurs. If the Lakers had released him earlier, then he might have signed with another team that offered him more money. But in the end, this became one of the best outcomes for him, as the Spurs went on to win two championships during his time, bringing his total to 7 championships.

This made him the first player outside of the Boston Celtics to win more than 6 championships in the NBA. He retired in 2008 at the age of 37. Horry has revealed that he keeps all his championships in a safe deposit box, and he is the only one who has the key to it.

What do you think of Robert Horry’s journey to 7 championships? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!