Bill Russell, Robert Horry, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Michael Jordan. One of these names doesn’t sound like the rest. That name, of course, is ‘Big Shot Bob’ Robert Horry. With one of the best nicknames of all time, Robert Horry was a ring merchant.

The 7-time NBA Champion was a vital cog in those Rockets, Lakers, and Spurs machines. While not the most prominent name, his game, and the clutch gene in him, were undeniable. With a litany of game-winners and, ahem, ‘Big Shots‘ to his name, everyone expected another surreal moment from Horry in the 1998 Conference Finals. Then why did Kobe Bryant take the last shot?

The Mamba in Kobe Bryant was Born

The story goes as follows. With the game on the line, a team of future Hall-Of-Famers like Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Shaquille O’Neal, and obviously, Horry was supposed to take the decisive shot. However, coach Phil Jackson drew up the final shot for a 19-year-old kid by the name of Kobe Bryant.

In retrospect, the idea sounds simple enough. I mean, it’s Kobe Bryant, for crying out loud. But, at the time, the idea seemed unimaginable. The final shot of a Conference Game to a kid? The idea seemed preposterous to many.

As Horry highlights, a lot of people were mad at the decision and came up to him to ask about the mindset behind the decision. But, Horry, stood by the decision. His reasons? “Because the dude was hot….To me, great coaches go with the hot guy. He had like 17 in the fourth, 16 in the fourth, something good.  And he just missed the shot.” 

Talking about how people complain because of the missed shot, Horry defended the guy and detailed how the moment truly showed Kobe’s mettle.

Robert Horry saw a legend in the 19-Year-Old Kid

While many took exception to Bryant’s shot, Horry was one of the supporters. Understanding how important instilling confidence in a young player was, along with Bryant’s strong play going into the shot, Horry embraced Jackson’s decision.

Highlighting it as his coming out moment, Horry detailed, “Right from that moment you could tell that this dude was gonna be something special….He can’t even buy beer yet, can’t buy liquor yet. And he’s taking over a team and you know, saying get on my shoulders.”  

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As Bryant’s legend continued to grow, you could trace it all back to this moment. A team that believed in him, a coach that trusted him, and a mentality that was unshakable. From there on, the Lakers took off. A 3-peat and 4 Finals appearances later, no one was questioning who would take the last shot.

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