Q&A With 7-Time NBA Champion Robert Horry

Editor’s Note: Timberwolves.com's Mark Remme caught up with NBA legend and seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry this weekend in Houston, a special place for Horry as he won his first two championships with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. Horry also played for the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs during the height of Rick Adelman’s success with the Sacramento Kings in the 2000s, and he still closely watches the NBA and is very complimentary of the potential the Timberwolves have if they remain healthy moving forward. Here is a Q&A with “Big Shot Rob” as he talks Adelman, Love and Rubio.What do you remember about Rick Adelman coached Kings teams? To me, I have always been a Rick Adelman fan. I felt like if I had been in his systems, I probably would have been a better player than I was because if you look at his system, it was ideal for me. You know, pass now to pinch post, cut, shoot the shot. Do things to facilitate the offense. That’s what I did in Alabama. That was a carry over. I’m a big Rick Adelman fan. I think he’s a great coach. And I hope they can do something to keep that team in Sacramento, because there’s too many great teams, too many great moments to come through there. You took a couple rings away from those guys? I didn’t take anything that was theirs (laughs). It was ours for the taking. We cover sports in Minnesota, so he’s up there and Kevin Love is up there as well. He's injured this year but obviously a two-time All-Star with a lot of talent. What are your impressions on him and how he plays the game? We have this debate all the time, who is the best power forward in the league. I go with Kevin Love all the time. That’s just my opinion. Other guys might get mad, but I love the way this guy plays. He can go out there and get you 20 and 20 every night. He can stretch the defense. He can get you rebounds. There isn’t too much of anything he can’t do except for maybe putting it on the floor and bringing it up full court. But he’s just a phenomenal player, a student of the game. Very smart player, very humble player and that’s what I like. How has the game changed in that regard, guys like him who can really stretch the floor like that? It started changing back when we got in the league with all the 3s like Toni Kukoc and guys who can play 3-4, Scottie Pippen could play 3-4 to stretch the defense and make it open up for guys like Jordan and things of that nature. It’s changed in that sense, it’s become sexy. Back when I got in the league, it wasn’t a sexy game. It was more of a beat you down game, you know, make sure you were strong. It has changed in that sense. How about Rubio and the pick-and-roll game. It’s something that has evolved over time as well. Is it more prevalent than when you started playing? Yeah, it’s a big difference. Now Rubio, I like the way he plays. He’s a very skilled player. Especially with Kevin Love, you want to get them two together for a full season, a full healthy season, and see the damage they can do. I was telling everybody before the season started, if Rubio comes back healthy, this is my surprise team. I thought the addition of [Andrei] Kirilenko, and I thought Derrick was going to be one of those guys that could help out because he can do so many different things. I see their season like the Lakers’ season, just a very frustrating season built up with injuries, and guys the team they wanted to be out there hasn’t been able to get out there. They’re a very capable team, a very good team because of Rubio.