When you hear Robert Horry talk, you expect championship stories and confidence. But on a recent episode of his Big Shot Bob Podcast, the seven-time NBA champ dropped something different. It wasn’t a clutch shot or a locker-room fight, but something personal. And the twist? It had nothing to do with basketball, and everything to do with the kind of player Robert Horry has become. The story involves a player, his brother, and their relationship that extended to basketball.
The topic started with his co-host mentioning Tyrese Haliburton getting advice during the playoffs. “Apparently, Joel Embiid’s been texting him… imploring him to shoot the ball more,” the host said. “Haliburton credits Embiid and Jason Tatum for keeping it 100 conversations that helped him build immunity to rejection.” When asked by the co-host, “did you have somebody that you turned to for your advice during your NBA career? Like another player that you would text?”, Horry’s answer was quick and raw: “F**k no.”
But then, something shifted. Laughing, Robert Horry opened up. “I went through a spell one time where I was just playing bad and I reached out to my brother. My brother doesn’t even know this story.” That part hit hard. He added, “Me and my brother are not that close.” The fact that Robert Horry didn’t turn to teammates, coaches, or even friends makes this call even more special. “I couldn’t call my best friend, I didn’t call my wife… I called my brother because he was the one that was just going to give it to me straight.”
And his brother did just that. “He says, ‘Man, you don’t look happy.’” That was the moment things clicked for Horry. “I say, ‘Man, I’m doing something that a zillion people would love to do, and I’m letting this affect me mentally.’” Robert Horry explained “and then he said, ‘Man, just go out and play and say f**k it.’”. That short conversation was all he needed as he found his answers in this call.
What stood out most was how honest that moment was for Robert Horry. “When you got a dude that don’t really give a f**k about you in the sense that… he give it to you real,” Horry explained, “I’m just going to enjoy it. I’m going to have fun. I’m going to play hard. If we win, we win. We lose, so be it.”
That advice wasn’t polished or rehearsed, but real. And it worked. “It was a simple maybe 15-minute conversation… but it was key things he said that inspired me.”
Kenneth: Big Shot Bob’s pillar
So, who is Robert Horry’s older brother, Kenneth Townsend? Robert Horry’s parents divorced soon after he was born, and he moved to Alabama with his mom and older brother. Kenneth wasn’t just a sibling; he was Horry’s first coach. “He was actually better at baseball than basketball,” Kenneth once said. “I’d sneak him out of the house to play.” Imagine that! A young Horry, dragged into games by a brother determined to see him shine.
Their relationship wasn’t picture-perfect. Horry admits that they’ve never been close. Yet Kenneth’s influence was everywhere. Those one-on-one sessions in Alabama. That’s where “Big Shot Bob” was born. Kenneth didn’t just teach him to shoot, he gave Horry a love for the game. Fast-forward to Horry’s NBA low point, and who does he call? The guy who started it all.
Choosing between teammate or coach? “guys in the corner give you fluff,” Robert Horry said. Kenneth didn’t care about NBA politicking. He cared about Rob, his little brother whom he snuck out late to hoop. They didn’t talk about plays, they talked about joy. Simple. Straight. Real.
So with every clutch highlight of Robert Horry, make sure you think: Behind every iconic shot was the brotherly tough love… and a 15-minute call that saved the career. Who would have thought?
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