Three from Three by MistiLynn

Three years removed from the three-pointer that helped propel the Lakers to a three-peat, Robert Horry once again finds himself eyeing the ultimate prize: the trophy, a sixth championship. He already has more rings than any other active player but one more would tie him with the likes of Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Not bad company to keep.

Horry has experienced the highs of basketball: the aforementioned 5 championships, hitting 22 game-winning/clinches shots and holding 2 postseason records. He holds the record for most steals in a Finals game (against Shaq’s Magic in 1995) and most 3-pointers without a miss in a playoff game (in the 1997 WCF against the Jazz)

He has also experienced the lows, including spending a weekend in Detroit when he was traded in 1994 (the traded was reversed when Sean Elliott’s kidney condition made him fail the physical), including an infamous towel-throwing incident with Danny Ainge which got him traded to Los Angeles and including missing 36 of 38 3-point attempts in the 2003 playoffs, which made the Lakers decline to bring him back.

The key to Horry’s career is how he has responded to adversity. When he could have held a grudge against the Rockets for sending him to Detroit, he instead took his game up a step to show them why the trade was a mistake. “To put it bluntly, I came back with an attitude that I didn’t care,” Horry said at the time. “I mean, they said the reason they traded me was that I didn’t shoot the ball enough. The reason that I wasn’t shooting the ball was that I was worried what would happen if I missed. So I came back and figured I would shoot. I mean, what else could happen?” Houston went on to win the next 2 championships with him as a major contributor.

When the Lakers declined his option and showed him the door after 6 1/2 years, many said he was done. He’d lost his shot, he’s too old and too slow. But here he is, playing his heart out and hitting clutch treys, once again eyeing the ultimate prize. Once again showing that he has the Heart of a Champion.

“Robert Horry is a proven winner,” Spurs GM R.C. Buford said. “He doesn’t care about personal accolades. His only concern is winning. There is a reason he has five championship rings. He does everything well. He can defend. He can run the floor. And — as we all know — he can hit big shots.”

Three removed from The Three, and 6 wins away from a 6th championship, it’s time for an Horry-book ending as only he can give you.