Robert Horry for… four? If the NBA had the PBA's four-point line back then, would ‘Big Shot Bob’ utilize it?
The PBA instituted the four-point line for big-time plays, but "Big Shot" Rob isn't quite ready to go all in on the idea.
Seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry, who is in the Philippines for the third time, gave his take on the PBA's innovation, noting that it would make younger hoopers focus solely on shooting instead of working on other key aspects of their game.
“That's the way the game is now. So many kids want to shoot the long ball, when they're not understanding it's about getting buckets. No matter two, three, or four in this case--getting buckets and doing it with a high efficiency. So to me, when you add a four-point play, it makes kids not really want to play the game. They just want to shoot the ball,” Horry said on Wednesday, September 18, when asked about the matter.
The Asia's first play-for-pay league made the decision to introduce its newest innovation in the ongoing Governors’ Cup in hopes of keeping the league exciting for fans, increasing the pace of the game and creating more thrilling moments on the court.
[ALSO READ: 'If you do not innovate, you die': PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas banks on 4-point shot to be a game-changer]
But it was also met with skepticisms from the players and even coaches in the PBA.
[ALSO READ: PBA’s new four-point line draws mixed reactions from players, coaches]
Horry, perhaps one of the game’s most clutch players of all-time, understood that the professional leagues and even the fans around the world shifted focus on offense since the three-point revolution midway through the 2010’s.
The emergence of game’s best sharpshooters such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Damian Lillard inspired a new generation of hoopers who are not afraid to hoist long-range attempts.
For Horry—a career 34.1% three-point shooter—it only means that as the game is growing, so is the ability to score.
And in order to be successful at basketball, Horry reminded it always boils down to just playing the game the right way.
“Get buckets and do it with a high efficiency. Play the game the right way, get buckets, have fun, play defense, and just enjoy the game. That’s what basketball is," he said as he dropped by the NBA Store at SM Megamall.
“One of those sports that brings so many people together. It’s just fun to watch people play and watch people understand it.”As part of the last team to three-peat in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-2002, the 54-year-old highlighted that one must accept and relish his or her role to a team and do it better than anyone else.
“You know, that’s the biggest key to winning championships. You have to understand who you are and be able to help the team out. And that way, you can make the team move forward,” Horry added.
[ALSO READ: Fantastic Four: Some notable 4-pointers made in PBA history so far]