50 Greatest NBA/ABA Players Not In the Hall Of Fame
By Phil Watson
(Photo credit should read DOUG COLLIER/AFP/Getty Images)
Horace Grant had starred at Clemson before he went to the Chicago Bulls with the 10th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.
A reserve as a rookie, Grant moved into the starting lineup at power forward in 1988-89 and was a key player in the Bulls’ three straight titles from 1991-93 and earned his only career All-Star berth in 1994.
He was also a two-time All-Defensive selection while in Chicago before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Orlando Magic in September 1994.
While with the Magic, he helped Orlando to its first NBA Finals in 1995 and made two more All-Defensive teams before he was traded with second-round picks in 2000 and 2001 to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Dale Ellis, Don MacLean, Corey Maggette and Billy Owens.
He spent just one season in the Pacific Northwest before being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers along with Chuck Person, Greg Foster and Emanual Davis as part of a four-team extravaganza that sent Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks to Seattle.
With the Lakers, Grant was part of the historic championship squad that rolled through the playoffs with a 15-1 record, averaging 5.2 points and 5.6 rebounds as L.A. dispatched the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals.
In July 2001, he returned to Orlando as a free agent, playing two seasons there. But he was released December 2002 after clashing with coach Doc Rivers.
He had planned to retire, but signed up to return to the Lakers for a final season in 2003-04 as a backup.
In 17 NBA seasons, Grant averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 33.2 minutes per game, shooting .509/.063/.692.
He is 41st all-time with 38,621 minutes and 46th with 9,443 rebounds.