Meet Big Shot Bob. And yes, he dunks!

The Bangalore (yes, not Bengaluru) leg of the Mahindra NBA Challenge came to a close today, with the finals of the various age groups being played out. The special attraction of the event was Robert Horry, the guy with 10 fingers and 7 rings. You think for a man of his stature, he would have a lot of airs about him, but then, he was ever casual, ready to oblige whoever came up to him asking for a photograph (read me). The general discussion that the media had with Horry, and Troy Justice, Senior Head Basketball Operations, NBA India focused on the state of basketball in the country, the scope it has, and the potential of the players taking part in the tourney.

After the interaction, Horry and Justice ran the participants through some shooting drills, egging the finalists on, while indulging in some customary trash-talk, making the event much more fun. After the shooting contest, there was a special dunk contest arranged, which had some daring participants, one of who jumped over two bikes to dunk the ball with a flourish (Blake Griffin beware!)

Excerpts from the interaction:

Q: Does he see potential in kids in India, to make it to the NBA, in the not so very far off future?

Robert: From what I have seen in the last couple of hours, the kids here have got loads of talent, agility and jumping ability, all they need is practice, and a lot of it. The infrastructure has to be upgraded, so that you get a lot of the street games going, which will see them develop their skills and physical abilities. It is the base which is the most important, and that gets strong only by practice. Kids in the US start playing ball by the age of 2 or 3, and so they have the time to hone their talents. Here, by the time you notice a guy has talent, it is time for him to pull out of the game, and move on. So that is the key, getting the basics right, and practice, at an early age.

Q: Does the Bangalore event match up to the one in Delhi, in terms of scale and level of participation? (Directed specifically at Troy Justice)

Troy Justice: No, the number of teams and the scale of the event are much bigger in Delhi, but in terms of enthusiasm and talent, yes it is a very even contest between Bangalore and Delhi. The national finals in Delhi next month will give us a much better estimate, as it will see teams from all over the country going up against each other.

Q: Of the 7 titles that you have won, which one would you count as your favorite?

Robert Horry: I count each of them as equally important. But, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the title with Houston in 95, as we were the 6th seeds in the West, and had to get through the Utah Jazz, led by Stockton and Malone, followed by Barkley and his Phoenix Suns, before defeating the Spurs to clinch the conference.

Q: Does he see the Lakers being the best team in the West again next year, after their blockbuster trade for Howard?

Robert Horry: No, I do not. Kobe is my brother, and they have added Dwight and Steve Nash, but the Thunder are still the team to beat in the West. You got nobody who can guard Kevin Durant, nobody who can catch Mr Zero (Westbrook), I mean yes Nash is there, but he cannot guard anyone, and to go with all that, they have a very deep team.

Q: Among all the championship winning teams that you have been on, which coach did you enjoy your experience with the most?

Robert: Coaches of basketball teams are more or less the same. However, nowadays, coaches have taken a new approach to the game, with them going into their huddles during the game, discussing moves, and them telling the players what to do. It is not something I like much, as I believe a player who is on the floor will be able to tell the coach the best as to what the opponent is doing, and how can they adapt. In that regard, I liked Rudy T (Rudy Tomjanovich) the best, as he used to take feedback from players during the game, and make decisions after discussions with them during the game. With him, it was like a family, he used to shout at me a lot, I used to shout back at him a lot, and that is how it used to be, and it was fun.

Q: Of all the big shots you have ever hit, which one is your favorite? ( I had to ask this)

Robert: I love all my shots, they are all my favorite. Which one do you like the most?

Me: The Dunk against Detroit, by a long way.

Robert: Ah, I like that a lot too. There is a story attached to it, you want to hear it?

Me: Of course

Robert: So, my son Cameron tells me, Daddy, why don’t you dunk the ball, and I go, I dunk it all the time. So, I tell him, the next game, you pay attention, I will dunk the ball. So in the game against Detroit, Bruce Bowen throws me a bad pass late in the game, I cannot get a three off, and so I decide to go to the rim, I go past a couple of guys, and then dunk it over Rip Hamilton. After the game, I ask my son, so did you see Daddy dunk, he says, what Dunk? You see, he missed the dunk!!

Number 6 is the dunk in question.

That was the last question of the afternoon, following which, Horry proceeded to start his clinic. It was a truly memorable occasion, made more so by the sheer presence and charisma of the man who is the definition of Clutch in basketball. Here’s to the man who always played the game with all his heart and a smile on his face.

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