NBA: Lakers Legend Stresses Importance Of Being An All-Around Player

One of the most notable former role players of the Los Angeles Lakers has explained the importance of being an all-around player.

Robert Horry was a significant player for the Lakers back in early 2000’s. He was a first-round draft pick of the Houston Rockets in 1992 and has been known for hitting “big shots” especially during the postseason.

After winning a total of 7 NBA championships, Horry pointed out the importance of being able to do all things in order to help the team. As the guest speaker at the Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club on Tuesday at Oakmont Country Club, the 49-year-old NBA legend stated that sacrifices is essential in get good at any kind of sports or job, The Los Angeles Times reported.

“It’s about making sacrifices in life. Whether you are a doctor or lawyer or basketball player or a football player, you have to make sacrifices to get good at your craft,” Horry stated.

Horry also said that he listened to advice given to him by his youth and college coaches before turning to several NBA players such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe and Tree Rollins during his early days with the NBA. He also emphasized that regardless of a player’s role in the team, he always need to work on all the aspects of the game.

“Those guys took me under their wings and helped me a lot. I learned from my coaches that if you can’t do everything on the court, then you are not a basketball player. I started to work on my overall game. I don’t care if you are a big or a small player, you need to always be working on your dribbling, shooting and passing,” Horry pointed out.

Horry won two NBA championships with the Houston Rockets (1994 and 1995), three with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000, 2001 and 2002) and two with the San Antonio Spurs (2005 and 2007). He played four seasons with the Rockets where he created the legend of “Big Shot Bob.”

However, Horry’s best moment in the NBA was his buzzer-beater 3-point shot against the Sacramento Kings. With less than one second remaining on the clock, Horry recovered the ball and made a three-point shot over former Kings superstar Chris Webber to win Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on May 26, 2002.

The Lakers would beat the Kings and sweep the New Jersey Nets to win the NBA Championship.