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NBA / May 16, 2008 / 11:19 am

Was it a Cheap Shot?

By Dime Magazine

You tell us:

Posted in NBA |

64 Responses to “Was it a Cheap Shot?”

May 16th, 2008 at 11:20 am

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

no
May 16th, 2008 at 11:22 am

iain. says:

Yes it was. Horry is too smart, experienced, devious, and has too much previous for this to be “accidental”.

Also check the way he steps over West when he’s writhing in the floor, cold.. like an assassin killing N.O’s chance of reaching the Conf. Finals.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:27 am

Taj says:

Robert Horry is a GOON!! There was no reason for him to play David West like that! Smart play, but a lil on the cheap side, a la the Steve Nash body check!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:28 am

gary says:

too much previous?!?…no . one incident. hes smart and cunning. he plays basketball for a living , thats his job.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:28 am

JA says:

Not only do I not see a reason for Horry setting the back pick, but he was moving toward West and leaning in even before the ball was tossed in the air.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:29 am

djKianoosh says:

not a cheap shot at all.

good “back” screen.

west actually flew backwards into Horry. he did it to himself. Horry just leaned forward, he didn’t even leave his feet at all, to brace the impact cause West was flying backwards into him… like a fool, knowing he has a bad back, West still jumps backwards. what a dumb play on his part.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:32 am

mambo mamba says:

but west probably didnt know horry was THAT close
May 16th, 2008 at 11:33 am

Dave says:

Horry took advantage of the situation, I don’t think he went out of his way to hurt West but when he saw the opportunity to set a hard back-pick in the flow of the game he did it.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:34 am

JA says:

It wasn’t in the flow of the game was it? Didn’t Horry get a foul call on the play?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:35 am

iain. says:

@ gary, no not one incident.

One highly publicized incident fresh in your mind, im not saying he’s in Bowen’s league of bitch moves, but dudes no angel.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:36 am

Kermit Washington says:

That was West’s mistake, straight up and down. If you have a bad back, you don’t go trying to bend backwards to catch a ball that is sailing over your head. Sure, Horry NUDGED him. Even all the people that are mad are saying “That was wrong of Horry to NUDGE him, you can see in the video he LEANED IN on him…” Since when was a NUDGE and a LEAN considered a CHEAP SHOT?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:37 am

JA says:

So wouldn’t the fact that he went out of his way to hit West in the back constitute a cheap shot by definition?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:37 am

Kermit Washington says:

And even on the Nash replay, you can see how Nash threw himself to the ground and went crashing into the table…such a drama queen this guy…
May 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

I am gone say this too. The body tends to go down in pain more when you are having a bad game and taking an L.

Big as West is…he was more than likely ok. I have been fouled worse in streetball games. Matter of fact I fouled a dude way harder than that last night and he is ok.

West’s pride was hurt more than anything and Horry gave him an easy way out.

Wasn’t ish wrong with that. Man the **** up!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am

liukz says:

it clearly was a cheap shot! he moved toward west for no reason.If he was setting a pick didnt have to move for no target. People who know basketball should know better than that. CHEAP AS HELL
May 16th, 2008 at 11:43 am

rangerjohn says:

the more i watch that, the less it looks cheap. it even looked some what weak really, horry covered his junk, leaned forward so as to not get put on his ass and west jumpped into him and hit the deck. parker took a harder shot from chandlers forarms then west did from any part of horry.

i agree gee, when you are down by 21 (as they where then) and things are going real bad, you tend to hurt more. had the hornets been up by 21 (like game 4) west would never have even hit hte floor. he would ahve played throug the pain like game 4.

on the other hand i guess that answers the question “is he going to rip someones head off or cry” i guess it is cry on this one
May 16th, 2008 at 11:46 am

Kermit Washington says:

Ok lemme ask all the CheapShot theorists this:

What do you think Horry should have done instead? You got a guy who BUSTED you last game for 38. WITH a bad back. So do you go EASY on him, because he has a bad back, and just let him move to the spot he wants to get to? I guarantee Horry would have done the same move on ANYONE who was jumping back to catch a ball. He knew he couldn’t catch the ball himself, so he tried to get physical and beat him to the spot. Not “set a pick” like everyone keeps saying. He was trying to BE PHYSICAL and BODY homes.

You all sound like, “Oh, he shouldn’t have done that…he knew West was hurt, so he shouldn’t have been physical and should have let him catch the ball and score in his grill so that he doesn’t aggrivate his injury”. Come on
May 16th, 2008 at 11:47 am

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

xactly ranger.

If they was winning I promise dude would have went at Horry either then or afterwards on another play even harder.

It’s a rough move perhaps, if you want to consider it that but not a cheap shot. If anything, just like when TP got picked (they called a foul on Tyson) it wasn’t cheap….It was a lack of communication.

They even went to Byron telling TP come on you know, it was a lack of communication and TP wasn’t even trying to argue it.

If you want to be mad, be mad at West’s teammates for not saying “Back Pick, Back Pick”. Otherwise wasn’t ish wrong with that.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:48 am

JA says:

Gee – That guy you fouled last night … was he dissing your freestyles?!? haha So you had to show him how street you were?

What Would Gee Do? He’d a hit West in his back even harder, then would have gone over and drank the dude’s gaterade or something.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:49 am

d16 says:

Of course it was a cheap shot. Horry is a wily veteran. He knows exactly what he’s doing out there.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:51 am

Dcbum says:

What was cheap was the fans chanting Horry as d-west was lying on the floor. That to me is just bad sportsmanship and takign things to far.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:55 am

B says:

David West needs a Backeotomy!!!!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:55 am

Sam says:

Negative.

It was a simple hard back-screen, nothing more. West jumped at the same moment Horry leaned, and he caught the contact.

If West’s back is such an issue, he shouldn’t have been in the game. Players – and more to the point, coaches – know the risks of being on the floor. They play at their own risk, and everyone is at risk of being injured; such is the nature of sports.

If the back’s an issue, he doesn’t need to be in a game his team’s losing by 20 points anyway. Twenty years ago – when the league was full of men – this wouldn’t have been an issue, but because it’s Robert Horry, and because players have been trained to play up contact, we have a little bit of unnecessary drama to ’spice things up’.

Just play ball!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

LOL naw JA but you funny though, what you ain’t like my lines lol? But GEE ain’t street, I am more sidewalk or dirt road.

What would GEE Do? GEE would have set the same back pick, then told dude “Come on man you ain’t hurt, big as you is. Get up!” LOL
May 16th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Kermit Washington says:

players are so soft nowadays…good point Sam…even Byron Scott acknowleged that the McHale clothesline on Rambis back in the day was 2 free throws and that’s it. That’s when basketball was a man’s game…I think that ended when being physical with someone kept escalating into fights, like with Miami/NewYork.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

Sam I’m with ya.

B I love that movie. I am always telling my wife I need that and she gets mad talkin bout there ain’t no such thing lol.

Dcbum I agree that wasn’t really cool on the fans part, then again they knew his big *** wasn’t hurt either lol.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

fallinup says:

Any other time, it would be seen as a good pick. Manu was frigging driving to the basket with two guys on him. Anybody else would have set the pick as well to clear the lane for Manu. The fact that West had a bad back and WAS PLAYING WITH A BAD BACK, is why it looked so devastating. In the split second, what was Horry supposed to do???

“Oh hey, Manu is driving with two guys on him. But West’s got a bad back, so maybe I shouldn’t set this pick and let Manu get trapped.”

Yeah, Horry is a “Wiley” veteran. Because anyone with half a brain would have set that pick as well.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

Sam says:

Gee – thanks, bro.

B – nice quote; perfect. “He slep’ wit’ mah mamma!”

Dcbum – I totally agree with you. Those people who chanted ‘Horry! Horry!’ ought to be ashamed of themselves.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

ayteeo says:

While I think it was a cheap shot, I have to say I have been happy to see NO make Parker pay the price for heading into the paint a few times, so what’s good for the goose, I guess. When you’re playing with a well publicized injury, you’re vulnerable and have to literally watch your back. Especially when Big Shot comes off the bench. The Spurs play hard and down, so be ready.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

Octopus Jonny says:

Looks clean to me. In the regular season nobody even notices that.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

rangerjohn says:

while i agree the fans where caught up in the moment and where not right exactly for chanting horry, that is no different then the hornets fans applauding when parker got nailed. no different then the fans talking trash to manu anout a “flop” no different then a fan holding a picture of parkers wife in a hornets shirt.

that is part of the game. fans dont care!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:24 pm

JA says:

I’m really surprised there aren’t more examples of one team trying to take out one of the other team’s best players (besides Bowen and his fancy feet).

Say if a guy is going to dunk on you, instead of getting yourself on a poster, do you submarine him?

Would you have hard-fouled Kobe’s sore pinky if he was driving on you? Or hit him in his back now that he’s having issues with it?

Would you drive into the lane, and seeing you’re likely to get blocked by Tim Duncan, pretend to ’slip’ and then fall on his leg trying to hyper-extend his knee or roll his ankle?

It depends on what kind of person you are I suppose. What you would do to win.

Do I think Horry’s foul on West was cheap? Yes.
Would I have done it? You bet.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

yoda says:

i dont think it was cheap shot, you can see picks like this everywhere. in nba, streetball…so many times players lean forward or to sides, sometimes knee pops out to catch running player…if horry had his elbows way in front of him, then it would be cheap play. and it wasn’t like he tackled him or something.
btw, everyone was so ready to trash horry on this move, but when kobe hurt his back and played whole game ( and west cried and had to be taken away from court) he was called faker etc.. double standards?
May 16th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

cbizzle says:

I think it was a little of both. On one hand, the play itself is legal, he made the right play to set a back pick. That’s not where it’s cheap. It’s that leaned forward and led with his shoulder and elbow. They’re the same exact size almost (same wieght, Horry’s an inch taller) so don’t give me that BS about “bracing for contact”. It almost looked like Horry was measuring dude up and aiming too. Second, don’t blame West for being in the game. Yeah, he was playing with a pinched nerve in his back, but it was a potential elimination game. Even though they were down 21, they were trying to build some continuity and confidence for game 7.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:33 pm

BxBaller says:

Yeah It was a cheap shot, their was no reason for him to hit West. He wasn’t even setting the pick for Ginobili.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:38 pm

qq says:

Yes.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

Dennis Castro says:

Cheap Shot Bob.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

alex says:

The NO fans here are whining right now. That was a back pick, and it was West who jumped right into it. If that was a dirty play, Stu Jackson would be all over this.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

A cheap shot is when Chris Paul purposely jabbed a dude in the nutz.

That my friends is a cheap shot. What Horry did was just what happens in ball. Ain’t nobody try to fight Horry or anything, cause it’s territory with the game.

A cheap shot is when, Coach Chaney I think it was, told his goon(s) to go in a foul a dude to the point he couldn’t play a game no more. Anyone remember that?
May 16th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

JoeGym says:

From what I saw, Manu was going baseline so it was a natural play. Horry did brace for it, but he braced up high i.e. away from West’s lower back. No cheap shot. Its ESPN needing storylines b/c game 7 isnt til Monday. They went on about it last nite & on ESPNRadio this morning to get people to watch SportsCenter, call in & talk about it.
Typical ESPN, forget all the hype.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

rootsradical says:

of fucking course it was. horry is a piece of shit. everyone wants to call him clutch blah blah. but if there’s anyone that isn’t deserving of all the rings /acclaim its this guy. cheap shots are all he has left. i can’t stand spurs fans and how you are constantly put in the position to defend your teams actions and it doesn’t strike you as odd.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Dave says:

It wasn’t a cheap shot but it was a shot at West. It was a “we’re going to beat you up and make you earn this, ain’t a thing goin’ to be easy for you in this series” foul.

Smart play. Good play. Well done Rob.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:32 pm

grimey says:

Horry’s reputation definitely precedes him in this case. Was the play out of line? yes. Dirty? no. would you let a guy with a sore shoulder get a free pass to dunk or would you try and stop it even though it could potentially aggravate the injury? What made it look worse was that West had no idea it was coming.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:39 pm

JeffyC says:

It absolutely was a cheap shot. Horry has gotten to the point in his career where his dagger 3s are no longer a given so he finds other ways to help his team advance. There was NO REASON for Horry to set a back screen when a pass was in the air and came from as far from Horry as it did. He wasn’t setting a screen on the ball. He wasn’t setting a screen for a man to use. He just cocked back and took his shot at West, right in the back. He saw West had his back to him, saw the opportunity to take a shot at West’s back to injure him and did just that. Horry is a b!tch. A smart one but a b!itch nonetheless. If San Antonio advances because of this I’ll be sick.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

sandman says:

Yeah, it was a cheap shot for sure. Horry knew exactly what he was doing. Horry’s eyes widened like saucers when he saw West backing up towards him. He had no intention of setting a legal pick. He leaned in and dipped his shoulder right on the sweet spot. He then walked away quickly after West hit the floor to avoid retaliation. He and that weasel Bowen ( a.k.a. Edward Scissorhands )really know how to cheat and get away with it. That is how the Spurs play. Whatever it takes. It was extremely classless by the fans to cheer a cheap shot. But, I guess that’s how they roll in San Antonio.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

beach_please says:

Chandler’s pick on Parker looked just as malicious. Seeing TP running back fast and then taking time to set up and then slightly stick his knee out (although chandler is tall so maybe that knee was just him standing normal)
May 16th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:

Chandler’s pick on Parker was just as or more if you ask me.

Plus anyone remember, I think and could be wrong but, Reggie Miller got picked hard to and it put him out for a minute with headaches or eye problems or something.

Anyway it’s the game. Tell your teammates to tell you it’s coming. Stop crying.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

rodnets says:

No its not, perhaps the fact that West back was already hurt made things worse, but it was not even hard.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

TP stands for toilet paper says:

remember though, parker was running back pretty fast, west kinda jumped backward into horry. tony could have easily injured his back just as bad.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:26 pm

E$ says:

nope blood, no foul – I came from that NBA era, so of course this is nothing
May 16th, 2008 at 4:27 pm

godfreyallstar says:

no it wasnt, he moved toward him because he was bracing himself because he knew west was gonna run into him. im sure you would not wanna get put on your ass just because you were afraid to take contact and stayed flat footed?
May 16th, 2008 at 4:46 pm

cbizzle says:

Gee, I hear you. I remember the pick pick on Reggie, it was CRUCIAL. I also think the Chandler pick was kinda dirty too. It doesn’t make Horry’s foul any less cheap though. The the closest person to the play was Peja, and I’m not sure he was in earshot of West. Pargo was close, but he was chasing the play. I’m still seeing this BS about Horry “Bracing for contact”. They are the same size, and West wasn’t exactly going full speed, what do you need to brace for?
May 16th, 2008 at 4:59 pm

daquest?on says:

YES IT WAS A CHEAP SHOT IT SEEMS THAT WHEN THE SPURS FEEL THREATENED THEY GO TO HORRY TO MAKE A DIRTY PLAY SO THAT THEY CAN WIN.. IT HAPPENED IT PHOENIX AND IT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT.. HORRY SHOULD B CHEAP SHOT BOB
May 16th, 2008 at 5:30 pm

Sushi says:

Not only dirty, but classic Cheap Shot Bob.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:38 pm

weng santos says:

Hey, that’s what a back pick is.

I’ve hit screens unknowingly moving laterally that just levelled me. And those were none-calls. Not really the other guy,s fault he was stronger or he anticipated the contact better.

Sure Horry moved. Doesn’t everybody on screens? Unless you’re a wall, you’ll instinctively protect yourself from the oncoming contact. I’m not letting nobody 240 pound jump up and land on mo; I’m gonna nudge him a little to deflect the impact.

That kind of contact is just part of the game of basketball. Otherwise, just go play chess or something.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

Common Sense says:

lol just greasy.
Pick n roll, horry rolls to the cup, doesn’t get the rock. Manu drives, jumps to pass, so most players would raise their mitts to catch the rock. Not Robert Horry. He balls up his hands on his midsection and drives them into dude’s back. Clowns defendin this joker ain’t never had a back spasm or a pinched nerve in the lumbar region and took a shot there. lol greasy. so borderline dirty he looks like a genius. All year, we been sayin the spurs flop, funny the one time that horry coulda flopped and put the foul on west, he decides to stand his ground cuz west’s back showed up. Spurs are devious lol
May 17th, 2008 at 12:04 am

Keith says:

I put it to you that Horry’s actions were to AVOID injuring West.

1. Horry thinks that Ginobili is going to drive under the basket for a layup, so he intends to screen off the defenders.
2. He sets his feet and his arms in position for the screen.
3. West (backing up) jumps in the air because of the pass over his head
4. Horry, not wanting to undercut West by making contact below the waist, raises his arms and stands on his toes to make contact above the waist.
5. Horry also leans with his upper body to decrease the chances of the main force being below West’s center of gravity.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:06 am

Phil says:

Are you serious? whats he supposed to do? Let him go by?

Ridiculous.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:40 am

doc says:

It aint a cheap shot if west fucked up for game 7 and the spurs win.Id call it a expensive shot.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:10 am

G2K says:

that was definitely a cheap shot, he saw west coming and figured he’ll give him a bump where it hurts. that was OH so obvious, there was no reason for him to have a screen stance considering the fact that Parker was not driving to the hole, not that the pick was useful anyhow. but yeah definitely a cheap shot, without a doubt, but it can also be argued as a smart move because of the way he played it, it was so subtle and masqueraded that it actually takes several reviews to notice that it’s not a clean play
May 17th, 2008 at 3:50 am

Austin Burton says:

If that was a cheap shot, than what was Kevin Garnett’s blind-side pick on Zaza Pachulia?
May 17th, 2008 at 6:48 am

Common Sense says:

@ post 61
payback
May 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

Ross says:

Not at all.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:10 pm

daquest?on says:

Zaza wasnt hurt in the back r in the face

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