Robert Horry says his favorite NBA shot came as rookie with Rockets

The man who earned the nickname “Big Shot Bob” for his clutch shotmaking says his favorite came as a rookie with the Rockets in 1993.

Seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry certainly earned the nickname “Big Shot Bob” over his 16-year career, as evidenced by game-winning shots in the 2002 Western Conference Finals and 2005 NBA Finals.

But the 6-foot-10 forward says his favorite shot of all happened long before that, way back during his 1992-93 rookie season in Houston.

In a new interview with Rockets broadcaster Craig Ackerman, Horry explains why one shot from the 1993 playoffs stands out to this day. The Rockets were tied in the final minute of Game 7 during their second-round series with Seattle, and Horry buried a shot at the buzzer of the shot clock to give Houston the lead with just over 30 seconds left.

The Sonics answered the shot to tie the game and eventually won in overtime, but it still carried big significance for Horry. He explains:

It has personal meaning to me. We were playing in Seattle in Game 7, and I hit a jumper on the right wing in my first year. I hit a jumper and we went into overtime. We eventually lost that game in overtime, so nobody talks about that shot.

But for me as a confidence builder, and knowing that my teammates passed me ball, and I took the shot. Especially with all the things that happened to me, like when I got traded from Houston [it was ultimately voided] for not shooting the basketball. This is a moment where I had to believe in myself.

And it gave me that boost and encouragement that, you know, it’s just a game of basketball. It’s fun. You go out and play, you enjoy. You take shots when you’ve got shots if you don’t make it, ‘Oh well.’ If you make it, ‘Woohoo!’

The complete interview with Horry and Ackerman, which touches on a wide range of basketball topics from his storied career, is available here.

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Though the Rockets lost that game, they went on to win the next two NBA championships β€” and Horry’s propensity for clutch shots was a big reason why. Had they held on in Seattle, 1992-93 teammate Matt Bullard recently said he thinks the Rockets would’ve won three titles in a row.

See below for an extended montage of clutch shots by “Big Shot Bob” over his 16 years in the NBA from 1992 until 2008. The first four of those seasons came with the “Clutch City” era Rockets, headlined by the franchise’s first-ever championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95.

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