Robert Horry is tired of the long-running saga surrounding former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant earned a reputation as a difficult teammate during his time in the NBA. Rightly or wrongly, Bryant demanded the best from all of his teammates.
This request caused a rift between Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal, leading to Shaquille O’Neal demanding a trade.
And as a veteran, Bryant was often harsh on his younger teammates, even choosing not to hand them the ball when a teammate was playing poorly.
However, some argue that Kobe has done this throughout his career. And one of his former teammates is ready to set the record straight.
Robert Horry recently appeared as a guest on Los Angeles Lakers legend Bryon Scott’s podcast. When talking about his time with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, Hawley had to correct a narrative that had existed for years.
Contrary to popular opinion, Kobe Bryant was happy to pass the ball. However, many players on the team didn’t behave properly, so Kobe took matters into his own hands.
“Everyone always says, ‘Kobe never passed me the ball.’ It’s because he didn’t like you like he liked me. So he gave me the ball. That’s what it is.
“I always tell people, when guys like Kobe are that good, they have options here. We have guys who are known for their knockdown shots, guys who don’t come to practice as much and don’t want to put in the effort, or guys who haven’t had time in the league.”
“Which of these guys is he going to give the ball to? Me. Because a bad shot for him is a great shot for me.”
“So he’s going to give me a bad shot. The next guy, no, it’s still a bad shot. So Kobe better take the shot. That’s what people have to understand.”
“Great players pass the ball to people they trust and believe in, because a great shot for them is an off-shot for someone else hitting the same shot. People have to pay attention to that.”
Players like Robert Horry earned Bryant’s trust by playing alongside him. If you can help the Lakers play winning basketball, the ball will be in your hands.
If you’re not willing to give your all to the game, Kobe will shut you down and try to make you change your ways.
Bryant proved his penchant for passing in the 2010 NBA Finals when he handed the ball to Ron Artest and made one of the best clutch shots in NBA Finals history.
No matter what you say about Kobe Bryant’s method, there’s no denying that it was successful.