NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of The 1990s
By Phil Watson
50 greatest NBA players from the 1990s — 39. Jeff Hornacek
Jeff Hornacek had come into his own as the 1980s ended, emerging as a starter in the backcourt for the Phoenix Suns.
His rise continued into the new decade as he earned his first and only All-Star selection in 1992.
Hornacek was third in the NBA in 3-point shooting in 1990-91 and 1991-92 for the Suns, but in June 1992 was sent with Andrew Lang and Tim Perry to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Charles Barkley.
In three seasons for the Suns in the decade, he averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 35.5 minutes per game, shooting .521/.425/.881.
He spent just parts of two seasons in Philadelphia, traded in February 1994 with Sean Green and a second-round pick in 1995 to the Utah Jazz for Jeff Malone and a 1994 first-rounder.
In his brief stay with the Sixers, Hornacek averaged 18.1 points, 6.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 36.8 minutes per game, shooting .464/.359/.868.
A third option in Utah, Hornacek was part of Jazz teams that reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, losing each year to the Chicago Bulls in six games.
In the 1997 Finals, Hornacek averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 34.3 minutes per game, shooting .379/.375/.846. In 1998, those numbers were 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 34.2 minutes per game on .411/3-for-9/.833 shooting.
With Utah, Hornacek was fifth in the NBA in 3-point shooting in 1995-96 and second in 1997-98, while also finishing second in free-throw shooting in 1995-96 and 1997-98 and third in that category in 1996-97.
In parts of six seasons with the Jazz in the decade, Hornacek averaged 14.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.5 minutes per game, shooting .495/.421/.890.
Hornacek was 15th in the 1990s with 12,447 points, 16th with 3,713 assists, 10th with 1,164 steals, 12th with a 3-point percentage of .407 and seventh with a free-throw percentage of .884.
He played one more season with the Jazz before retiring in May 2000.
Hornacek has been coach of the Suns since 2013, going 87-77 in his two seasons.