Superteams are not a new trend in the NBA. Franchises try their best to assemble a roster capable of contending for multiple championships. This has been happening for a long time now and the Houston Rockets in the 1990s are a prime example of it. After winning two straight championships, the Rockets traded their young core which included a player who would eventually go on to have more titles than Michael Jordan.
Robert Horry was drafted by the Rockets in 1992 and went on to win two championships with them. He played a big part in their title runs and had his best season up to that point in 1995-96.? However, that wasn’t enough to convince the Rockets’ management about his caliber. In a bid to fight for more championships, the Rockets traded Horry along with other young players for Charles Barkley.
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In a recent episode of his podcast, “Big Shot Bob Pod“, Horry vented his anger about the whole situation. While talking about how the Los Angeles Lakers had assembled an aging roster last season, Horry didn’t believe it was as bad as the Houston Rockets.
He said, “You would think he went out and did what the Rockets did when they got Kevin Willis, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, and got rid of guys who were 20-year-olds“.
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Horry continued, “That’s when you get old. They went really old then“. He wasn’t too pleased with the decision to trade him at that point in time. The hosts alongside Horry mentioned how he was getting his frustration out. “He is the biggest sour patch in the world right now“, one of them said.
Robert Horry went on to eclipse Michael Jordan
While Horry wasn’t happy with being traded at such a young age, it arguably turned out well for him in the end. He found his way to the Lakers, where he won three straight championships before joining the San Antonio Spurs. He won two more championships with the Spurs to take his tally to seven.
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Horry earned the monicker of ‘Big Shot Rob’ due to his brilliance in clutch situations. He ended his career with more titles than anyone who has not played for the Boston Celtics.
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Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets certainly didn’t fair as well. They have failed to make the Finals ever since and the decision to trade away their young core didn’t reap the rewards they hoped for. Sometimes, superteams turn out to be not so great after all.
What are your thoughts on Robert Horry’s opinion? Let us know in the comments below.