Robert Horry is trying to keep the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs lively.
On Tuesday, the Lakers faced the Spurs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Spurs won decisively with a score of 136-108, led by star center Victor Wembanyama, who scored 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting.
After the game, Horry, a former Lakers champion and now an analyst, made strong comments about Wembanyama on the Spectrum SportsNet postgame show. He stated that despite Wembanyama’s impressive performance, he does not consider him a top-five candidate for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, pointing out that he holds an official voting position.
“He’s not even in my top five,” Horry said. “Because he hasn’t played enough games for me to be in my top five,”
“He’s too inconsistent for me,” Horry added about Wembanyama. “I think we’re trying to anoint him as the next great too fast. Don’t get me wrong, the kid is absolutely fantastic. But he ain’t no LeBron James, he ain’t no Kobe Bryant … I do have a vote [for MVP].”
Horry’s comments quickly drew criticism, with many believing he was being unfair to Wembanyama, especially given his role as an NBA MVP voter. Additionally, some felt that Horry’s comparisons to legends like James and Bryant were misplaced in discussions about the current MVP race for the 2025-26 season.
This season, Wembanyama is averaging 29.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game over 40 appearances. Most observers see him as at least a top-five candidate for MVP with the Spurs currently in second place. However, Horry’s views have stirred controversy, as he has previously made comments that upset fans outside of the Lakers community.