Robert Horry, one of the most decorated players in NBA history, won three of his seven championships during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. There, he shared the court with one of the sport’s most iconic figures, Kobe Bryant, a superstar who wasn’t exactly easy to get along with.
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It took Horry some time to form any sort of bond with Bryant. The Black Mamba rarely connected with teammates unless he saw a competitive fire in them that earned his respect. Horry, despite being one of the most clutch shooters of all time, wasn’t particularly known for that edge.
That said, Horry recalled during an appearance on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast how traveling back together from another country and sharing conversations about life, basketball, and Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon changed their relationship forever.
“We were just talking. We talked about Dream. We talked about life after basketball,” Horry said, revealing that Olajuwon, a two-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star, was the catalyst in forging their friendship.
“That’s how he and I relationship changed. I played with 8. I never played with 24. 8 was all about being the best. He didn’t really let people in because that was kind of a distraction. Kobe had a blinder on being the best,” added Horry.
Today, Horry can look back on his time with the Lakers with pride. Not only was he successful on the court, but he also built friendships with Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who together formed the most dominant duo in the NBA at the time.
“I think the bond that Shaq and Kobe and I had was a little bit better because we were all around the same age,” the 55-year-old continued. “I think Shaq and I had all these battles against each other in college and of course in the Finals. It was just a special bond he and I had.”
Big Shot Rob later spoke about how he and Shaq would shoot the breeze during practice at the free-throw line. He revealed that during games, he would try his best to distract O’Neal before a high-pressure free throw so he’d be less in his own head.
It’s one of the reasons Horry was such a solid teammate. He could have just let Shaq figure it out on his own, but instead, he chose to play a small part in making the situation feel a little less stressful.
And it’s reasons like this that Horry was more than just “Big Shot Rob.” Beyond the clutch shots and seven rings, he was the steady teammate who connected with legends like Shaq and Kobe on a genuine level. His mix of humor, humility, and calm under pressure made him the quiet glue behind the Lakers’ early 2000s dominant era.
