Horace Grant

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Horace Junior Grant (born July 4, 1965 in Augusta, Georgia) is an American former professional basketball player. He is the twin brother of Harvey Grant, also a former professional basketball player. He attended and played college basketball at Clemson University, before playing professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he became a 4-time world champion.

Horace Grant was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 10th overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft. The 6' 10" power forward immediately teamed with Scottie Pippen to form the Bulls' forward tandem of the future, although he initially backed up Charles Oakley, one of the league's premier rebounders and post defenders.

In 1989, Grant moved into the starting lineup when Oakley was traded to the New York Knicks for center Bill Cartwright. He immediately became the Bulls' main rebounder, and established himself as the Bulls' third scoring option after Michael Jordan and Pippen, forming the one of league's best trios. He helped Chicago win three consecutive NBA championships (1990-91, 91-92, and 92-93).

After Jordan retired following the 1992-93 season, Grant became the number two star behind Pippen, and helped the Bulls push the Knicks to seven games in the second-round playoff series before being defeated. In the offseason, however, he left the Bulls as a free agent and joined the young and rising Orlando Magic, led by young phenoms Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway. Grant helped the Magic reach the 1995 NBA Finals, where they were swept in four games by the more experienced Houston Rockets. Grant spent the next several seasons with the Magic, until he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics just before start of the 1999-2000 season. After one year with the Sonics, he was involved in a three-way trade in which Glen Rice of the Los Angeles Lakers was sent to New York, Patrick Ewing of the Knicks was sent to Seattle, and Grant to the defending champion Lakers. He helped them win another championship in 2000-2001, but in the offseason decided to leave Los Angeles and sign back with the Magic. Grant was cut by the Magic after being called a 'cancer' to the team by then-coach Doc Rivers[1]. He retired in the beginning of the 2002-2003 season, but briefly returned to the Lakers in the summer of 2003.

Grant was known as a strong defender and rebounder who could also provide a consistent source of points. He was easily recognizable by many NBA fans because of his trademark protective goggles.

[edit] Trivia

• His nickname was "The General", alluding to American Union general Ulysses S. Grant.
• Grant was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at Clemson.
• Grant is alluded to in the 1998 Puff Daddy song "It's All About the Benjamins."