4. Robert Horry
This selection may be controversial, but it is deserved. Horry, who played both power forward and small forward, may not have been the center of attention, or even a starter, but he was the quintessential finisher and that is what counts. With the game on the line, where one final shot would determine victory or defeat in a crucial game, you would want Horry with the ball in his hands taking that shot.
Horry played on multiple teams during his career, but in the hearts and minds of fans in Los Angeles, he will always be remembered as a Laker. He was a key member of the O’Neal/Bryant teams that was so dominant and won three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. In total, he played for teams that won an astounding eight NBA titles.
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Horry was a star for the Alabama Crimson Tide in college. He led his team to three consecutive SEC tournament titles and two Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA championships. He was a member of the SEC All-Defensive Team and All-Academic teams. He set a school record for blocked shots. He is a member of the Alabama sports Hall of Fame.
The Lakers traded Cedric Ceballos for Horry in January 1997. He stayed with the team for six seasons which included three titles. In the championship seasons he played off the bench behind A.C. Green (2000), Horace Grant (2001), and Samaki Walker (2002), but he was almost always on the court in clutch moments and in the playoffs.
Horry is responsible for one of the top moments in Lakers history. In Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the hated Sacramento Kings, the outcome of the series was in doubt and the Lakers could not afford to lose the game. With time running out O’Neal and Bryant both missed shots and the ball was batted out to Horry who was standing calmly at the top of the key. As the game clock was expiring Horry lofted a rainbow that found its mark, and the Lakers won in dramatic fashion and went on to win the series and eventually another title.
In his final season with the team, Horry uncharacteristically played poorly in the post-season and Lakers’ management lost confidence in him. They thought his career was over, so they made no effort to re-sign him and let him leave in free agency.
Horry, of course, had the last laugh. He went on to play a prominent role in winning two more championships with the San Antonio Spurs. He was the same old clutch performer, hitting key shots at crucial moments including in the playoffs and finals. For his career, he made more three pointers in NBA finals than any other player in NBA history, eclipsing the previous record held by Michael Jordan.
For all his accomplishments in his career with the Lakers, Horry deserves to be recognized as one of the team’s top forwards of all time.
Next: Jamaal Wilkes