Robert Horry Wishes He’d Thrown Brick At Danny Ainge
May 19, 2022, 5:13 PM | Updated: 5:13 pm
30 Nov 1999: Coach Danny Ainge of the Phoenix Suns talks with the referee during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Suns defeated the Clippers 94-80. (Photo Credit: Harry How /Allsport)
(Photo Credit: Harry How /Allsport)
SALT LAKE CITY – It seems there’s still no love lost between Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge and long-time NBA forward Robert Horry.
Before earning his nickname “Big Shot Bob,” Horry played under Ainge when he was the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, one of the forward’s four stops during his illustrious 16-year career.
But while Horry proved to be one of the most valuable role players in NBA history, serving as a key piece on seven different championship teams, his stay in Phoenix was not for long.
Remember when Robert Horry threw a towel in Danny Ainge’s face and the next thing you knew he was a Laker lmao pic.twitter.com/NenPFq4IX0
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) March 29, 2021
Just 32 games into his tenure with the Suns, the forward got into an altercation with Ainge on the sideline which resulted in Horry throwing a towel into his coach’s face.
Horry was suspended by the Suns for two games before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal centered around Cedric Ceballos.
Earlier this week during a Twitter Q&A, Horry didn’t backtrack from the towel-throwing incident.
“About the towel throw at Danny Ainge’s face…” Twitter user tehinappropri8 asked, “do you regret not throwing a bigger towel or not throwing the towel even harder?”
Horry, playing into the leading question, had a surprising response.
“No just wished there was a brick in it,” Horry replied with two laughing emojis.
No just wished there was a brick in it 😂🤣.. https://t.co/vXMRTNf4lQ
— Robert Horry (@RKHorry) May 18, 2022
In a podcast last year, Horry explained the origin of his beef with Ainge.
“I hated Danny Ainge, I’m not even going to lie, I hated him,” Horry said. “We just beat them so many times when he was in Phoenix and I was with the Rockets. Mario Elie is one of my good friends, and in one of the playoff games he took the ball out – Danny Ainge was a pitcher – he hit Mario in the face with the ball on purpose. The next game we played – we lost that game because all we tried to do was hurt him.”
Ainge hit Elie with the inbound pass in the waning seconds of Game 3 of the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals, leading to the disconnect between him and Horry.
“That’s an embarrassing moment,” Ainge later said of the incident. “I love Mario Elie, by the way, as a player. I have great respect for him.”
