NBA.com: Jeff Hornacek Bio

Not offered a scholarship at Iowa State, Jeff Hornacek made the squad anyway and became an all-conference player. Chosen late in the second round in the NBA draft, Hornacek earned a spot on the Phoenix Suns and became an All-Star. He has spent over a decade in the NBA as a reliable shooter and solid scorer and was a valuable contributor to the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz in 1996-97 and 1997-98. A native of LaGrange, Illinois, Hornacek was a walk-on at Iowa State whose slick yet sound ballhandling ability and deadly shooting quickly became obvious. Playing alongside the more highly touted Jeff Grayer, Hornacek posted career averages of 10.7 points and 5.4 assists per game. He shot .884 from the line as a junior, set the Big Eight Conference career assists record, and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American and United Press International First-Team All-Big Eight selection. Selected with the 46th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, Hornacek made the Suns' roster and developed into an effective NBA guard. With his passing and shooting skills, he joined Kevin Johnson to give the Suns a potent backcourt and smooth attack. Hornacek averaged in double figures in scoring for four straight seasons with Phoenix. In 1991-92 he averaged 20.1 points, 5.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds while shooting .512 from the floor, .886 from the line, and .439 from three-point distance on a squad that won 53 games. He was named to the Western Conference All-Star Team that season. In June 1992 Hornacek was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a blockbuster deal that brought Charles Barkley to Phoenix. Hornacek spent 1 seasons with the 76ers before being swapped to the Utah Jazz in February 1994 for Jeff Malone. With the Jazz, Hornacek teamed with John Stockton to form an efficient guard tandem. In 1994-95 Hornacek and Stockton were two of the three most accurate shooting guards in the NBA. Hornacek was Utah's second-leading scorer again in 1995-96, averaging 15.2 ppg. He ranked second in the NBA in free throw percentage (.893) and fifth in three-point accuracy (.466). Though overshadowed by Karl Malone's MVP season as Utah won 64 games and the Western Conference crown in 1996-97, Hornacek was once again a valuable contributor. He was the team's No. 2 scorer at 14.5 ppg and ranked third in the NBA in free throw percentage at .899. He followed that up with another solid season as the Jazz again marched to the NBA Finals and again lost to the Chicago Bulls. He was second on the team in scoring (14.2 ppg), assists (4.4 apg) and steals (1.36 spg) and second in the NBA in free throw shooting (.885) and three-point field goal shooting (.441). He tailed off a bit in 1998-99, his scoring average dipping to 12.2 ppg, his lowest since 1987-88. He still ranked third on the Jazz in scoring, and his .893 free throw percentage ranked sixth in the league. He also was seventh in the league in three-point accuracy with a .420 mark. He played in his 1,000th career NBA game in the season finale, and on March 26 at Vancouver he dished his 5,000th career assist, becoming only the 18th player in NBA history to record both 14,000 points and 5,000 asssits. Hornacek's free throw percentage stood at .873 after 13 seasons, ninth in NBA history.

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Totaled 27 points (5-6 3-FG) in a 106-101 win over New Jersey on 2/28 Scored 22 points (4-4 3-FG) in a 119-108 win over Sacramento on 2/17 Won the AT&T Shootout during All-Star Weekend Won Sony All-Star 2ball (along with Natalie Williams) during All-Star Weekend Netted 17 points in a 93-90 win over San Antonio on 2/6 Logged 17 points in a 93-83 win over Miami on 1/13 Notched 22 points in a 101-90 win over Vancouver on 12/29 Scored 21 points (7-8 FG) in a 101-80 win in Washington on 12/14 Totaled 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in a 101-83 win over Seattle on 12/10

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Led the Jazz in three-point percentage (.420, 7th in the NBA) and free-throw percentage (.893, 6th) Played in his 1,000th career game, totaling 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 FT) and 6 rebounds, in a 99-82 win over the L.A. Clippers on 5/4 Posted 20 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in a 109-93 victory over the L.A. Lakers on 4/17 Notched his 5,000th career assist, registering 9 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds, in an 85-80 win over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 3/26 Recorded a game-high 21 points (9-13 FG) and 4 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets on 3/19 Totaled 18 points (7-12 FG) and a game-high 8 assists in a 106-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on 3/5 Posted a game-high 23 points (10-13 FG, 3-3 FT), 8 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals against the Portland Trail Blazers on 3/2 Totaled 18 points (6-9 FG, 5-5 FT), 7 assists and 3 rebounds in a 101-87 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on 2/28

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Totaled 20 points (6-8 FG), 4 assists and 3 steals in a 126-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 4/14 Recorded a game-high 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 126-109 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 4/10 Scored a season-high 31 points (11-16 FG) and added 5 assists in a 98-89 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on 4/1 Posted 22 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in a 109-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on 3/15 Registered 23 points (8-12 FG, 7-8 FT), 4 assists and 3 rebounds in a 122-115 win over the New Jersey Nets on 3/6 Totaled 21 points (9-13 FG), 5 assists and 4 rebounds in a 106-98 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 2/10 Won the AT&T Shootout, with a three-round score of 48, during the 1998 NBA All-Star Weekend in New York Recorded 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals against the L.A. Clippers on 2/3 Posted a team-high 23 points (10-14 FG) and 5 assists in a 106-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on 1/12 Registered 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a 98-95 overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on 1/6 Totaled 20 points, a game-high 9 assists and 3 rebounds in a 107-103 win over the Houston Rockets on 12/25 Recorded 18 points, a game-high 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals against the Portland Trail Blazers on 12/5 Scored 7 of his 25 points in overtime, adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists, in a 133-124 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 11/24 Posted 19 points (6-10 FG, 5-6 FT), 7 assists and 6 rebounds in a 103-74 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on 11/22 Registered 23 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in a 110-104 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on 11/14 Totaled 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a 98-80 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 11/12

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
Hornacek started all 82 games for the Jazz and was the team's No. 2 scorer at 14.5 ppg, shooting .482 from the field, .369 from three-point range and .899 from the foul line. He ranked third in the NBA in free throw percentage, hitting 51 in a row in one stretch and making 82 of his final 86 attempts. His 72 three-pointers ranked third on the Jazz, and he was also third on the team with 4.4 assists and 1.51 steals per game. Hornacek scored 20 or more points 11 times, getting a season-high 30 points in a 109-104 overtime victory over Golden State on Nov. 21 and 29 points in a 107-103 win over Denver on Nov. 27. He handed out a season-high 12 assists in a 114-93 triumph at Charlotte on March 17 and had a season-high five steals in a 95-91 victory over Phoenix on Jan. 16. Hornacek started all 20 playoff games for the Jazz, averaging 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He was second on the team in assists, tied for second in three-point field goals (19), third in scoring and fourth in rebounding. He scored 19 points against the Bulls in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and 18 points in Game 6.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
Hornacek's solid shooting was a key factor in Utah's charge to 55 wins and the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in seven games to Seattle. He shot .502 from the field, ranked second in the NBA at .893 from the line and was fifth in the league at a career-high .466 from behind the three-point arc. He averaged 15.2 points per game and was Utah's second-leading scorer for the season, getting 20 or more points 20 times including a season-high 29 points and 11 assists against San Antonio on Jan. 12. Hornacek, who appeared in all 82 games and started 59, led the Jazz in three-pointers with a career-high 104, which broke the franchise record of 102 set by John Stockton one year earlier. His accuracy mark of .466 surpassed Stockton's franchise standard of .449, also set in 1994-95. He also ranked third on the team in assists (4.2 apg) and steals (1.31 spg). He was Utah's second-leading scorer in the playoffs as well, starting all 18 games and averaging 17.5 points per game. He shot .502 from the field, .890 on 73-for-82 from the line and an amazing .586 on a team-high 34-for-58 from three-point range. He scored a playoff-high 30 points twice in the first round series against Portland.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
In his first full season with the Utah Jazz, Hornacek seemed an ideal fit for the team. The backcourt duo of Hornacek and John Stockton combined to average 31.2 points and 16.6 assists. Hornacek (.514) and Stockton (.542) ranked third and first, respectively, among NBA guards in field-goal percentage. Both were among the league leaders in three-point and free-throw percentage, with Hornacek posting a .406 three-point mark and an .882 rate from the line. On November 23 against the Seattle SuperSonics, Hornacek poured in 40 points, including an NBA-record 8 consecutive three-point baskets in one game. In that contest he canned 14 of 18 field goals and 4 of 4 free throws to go along with 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 rebound. That effort surpassed his career high of 39 points set in 1992. From December 30 to January 11 he converted 11 straight three-point attempts to tie an NBA record set by the Boston Celtics' Scott Wedman in the 1984-85 season. On November 12 against the Denver Nuggets, Hornacek was 12-of-16 from the field for 35 points. On February 14 against the San Antonio Spurs, he scored the 10,000th point of his career. Hornacek was a key member of a Utah squad that shot an NBA-best .512 from the floor and finished with the league's second-best record at 60-22. But the Jazz finished second in the Midwest Division to the San Antonio Spurs and met the defending NBA-champion Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The favored Jazz lost that series in five games.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
Hornacek didn't quite mesh with the rebuilding effort in Philadelphia, so midway through his second season with the 76ers the club traded him along with Sean Green to the Utah Jazz for Jeff Malone. In Utah, Hornacek found a team thrilled to have his services. He provided the Jazz with excellent passing and solid three-point shooting, two qualities previously lacking at the off guard position. Bolstered by his arrival, the Jazz advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals, eventually losing to the Houston Rockets in five games. Prior to the February 24 trade, Hornacek had averaged 16.6 points in 53 contests for the Sixers. Once in Utah, he eased slowly into the Jazz's rotation. Coach Jerry Sloan brought Hornacek off the bench in 18 of 27 regular-season games, then made him a full-time starter in the playoffs. In his 27 appearances Hornacek averaged 14.6 points and 3.9 assists while shooting .509 from the floor and .429 from three-point range, hitting on 18 of his 42 attempts. He finished with overall averages of 15.9 points and 5.2 assists per contest. As a starter in all 16 postseason games, Hornacek (15.4 ppg) was deadly from both the three-point line and the free-throw line. He hit 62 of 68 free throws (.912) and 15 of 34 three-pointers (.441).

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Hornacek had come to Philadelphia during the offseason as part of a trade that sent Charles Barkley to Phoenix. In his only full season with the Sixers, Hornacek led the team in assists (6.9 apg) and ranked second behind Hersey Hawkins in scoring. He finished with 19.1 points per game to Hawkins's 20.3 Hornacek scored in double figures in 77 of 79 games, reaching 20 points 32 times and scoring at least 30 on nine occasions. He set a new career high with 39 points against the Celtics in Boston on November 13 and had a career-high 7 steals against the Knicks in New York on January 26. Hornacek, now in his seventh season, ranked second on the Sixers in steals (1.66 per game), three-point percentage (.390), and total minutes (2,860). But Philadelphia struggled without Barkley, finishing 26-56 and in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. Hornacek ended the season ranked 10th on the NBA's all-time three-point percentage list with a .390 clip.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
This was Hornacek's most productive season as a professional, as he led the Suns in five statistical categories and made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game. He paced Phoenix in scoring (career-high 20.1 ppg), steals (1.95 per game), minutes (38.0 per game), free-throw percentage (.886), and three-point percentage (.439). He ranked 20th in the NBA in scoring, third in three-point shooting, and seventh in free-throw percentage. Hornacek established a new career high with 35 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 13. He registered his second career triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists against the Charlotte Hornets on November 29. He also made a career-best 49 consecutive free throws before missing against the Detroit Pistons on December 30. He was rewarded for his efforts during the streak by being named NBA Player of the Month for December after posting averages of 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Hornacek averaged 20.4 points in eight playoff games as the Suns reached the Western Conference Semifinals before losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in five games. Shortly afterward he was traded by Phoenix along with Tim Perry and Andrew Lang to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Charles Barkley.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
Hornacek continued to develop as one of the NBA's most consistent outside shooters, hitting at a .518 clip from the field and ranking third in the league from three-point range (.418) and eighth in free-throw percentage (.897). He averaged 16.9 points and 5.1 assists in 80 games for the Suns, teaming with Kevin Johnson to form one of the best young backcourts in the NBA. Hornacek scored a season-high 31 points against the Golden State Warriors on April 9. He led the Suns with 18.3 points per game in the playoffs, but Phoenix made an early exit, losing to the Utah Jazz in a four-game first-round series.

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
Now in his fourth season, Hornacek recorded his first career triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists against the Orlando Magic on November 24. He improved his scoring output for the fourth straight season, soaring to 17.6 points per game on a career-high .536 shooting percentage from the field. Hornacek led all NBA guards in field-goal percentage and ranked 12th in the league overall. Limited to 67 games because of injuries, Hornacek averaged 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals. He excelled in the postseason, scoring 18.6 points per game in 16 playoff appearances as the Suns again reached the Western Conference Finals, only to lose to the Portland Trail Blazers in six games.

1988-1989 REGULAR SEASON
Hornacek averaged double figures in scoring (13.5 ppg) for the first time in his career while playing in 78 games. His scoring average ranked fifth on the team behind Tom Chambers (25.7), Eddie Johnson (21.5), Kevin Johnson (20.4), and Armon Gilliam (15.9). Hornacek ranked second on the team to Kevin Johnson in both assists (6.0 apg) and steals (1.65 per game). Hornacek excelled in the playoffs, averaging 14.1 points and 5.2 assists in 12 games as Phoenix reached the Western Conference Finals. The Suns were swept in that series by the Los Angeles Lakers.

1987-1988 REGULAR SEASON
Phoenix traded Jay Humphries at midseason in part to make room for Hornacek, who was emerging as an excellent NBA guard in only his second season. He appeared in all 82 games, leading the Suns in assists (540) and steals (107). He also averaged 9.5 points, shooting .506 from the field and .822 from the free-throw line. Hornacek scored a season-high 21 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 22. He had 9 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets on December 22 and 6 steals against the Washington Bullets on March 9. The Suns finished with a 28-54 record, 34 games behind the Pacific Division-champion Los Angeles Lakers.

1986-1987 REGULAR SEASON
Jeff Hornacek (pronounced HOR-NA-SECK) didn't have a basketball scholarship when he enrolled at Iowa State in 1981-82. He walked onto the team that year, and five seasons later (including a redshirt year) he not only had a scholarship but also a prominent place in the school's record books. Hornacek left Iowa State as the Big Eight Conference's all-time assists leader and an honorable mention All-American as a senior. The Phoenix Suns selected Hornacek with the 46th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. In the first of his six seasons in Phoenix, Hornacek appeared in 80 games, averaging 5.3 points and totaling 361 assists, third best on the team behind Jay Humphries's 632 and Walter Davis's 364. He set a Suns record for most assists in a quarter, with 10 against the Golden State Warriors on January 28. He finished with a career-high 18 assists in that game.