History of the NBA H-O-R-S-E Competition
H-O-R-S-E is one of basketball's oldest and most recognizable shooting games. Unlike a traditional basketball contest, it does not require teams, defenders or a game clock. Instead, players take turns attempting shots from different locations, challenging their opponents to duplicate each successful attempt.
The game rewards creativity, shooting accuracy and the ability to make difficult shots under pressure. A player who fails to match an opponent's successful shot receives a letter. The letters eventually spell H-O-R-S-E, and the last remaining player wins.
Professional basketball has occasionally adapted the playground game for television. During the 1977-78 season, NBA players participated in a televised H-O-R-S-E tournament that was won by Phoenix Suns guard Paul Westphal. The competition featured several prominent players of the era, including Pete Maravich, George Gervin and Bob McAdoo.
More than three decades later, the NBA introduced H-O-R-S-E as an All-Star Weekend event in 2009. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant won the inaugural modern competition and successfully defended his title in 2010.
The NBA discontinued the All-Star Weekend version after 2010. Although H-O-R-S-E has remained a popular basketball game, the league has not made it a regular part of All-Star Saturday Night since those two competitions.
NBA H-O-R-S-E Competition Winners
| Season | Champion | Team | Letters at Finish | Competition |
|---|
| 1977-78 |
Paul Westphal |
Phoenix Suns |
H-O |
Televised NBA H-O-R-S-E tournament |
| 2008-09 |
Kevin Durant |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
G-E-I-C |
2009 NBA All-Star Weekend |
| 2009-10 |
Kevin Durant |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
H-O-R |
2010 NBA All-Star Weekend |
In 2009, the sponsored competition used the letters G-E-I-C-O rather than H-O-R-S-E. Durant finished with G-E-I-C, one letter short of elimination. The 1977-78 tournament was a separate televised competition, not an All-Star Weekend event.
2009 NBA All-Star H-O-R-S-E Results
| Finish | Player | Team | Final Letters |
|---|
| Champion | Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder | G-E-I-C |
| Eliminated | O. J. Mayo | Memphis Grizzlies | G-E-I-C-O |
| Eliminated | Joe Johnson | Atlanta Hawks | G-E-I-C-O |
The 2009 competition took place in Phoenix during NBA All-Star Weekend. It featured Kevin Durant, O. J. Mayo and Joe Johnson competing on an outdoor half-court setup.
Durant struggled early and accumulated four letters, placing him one missed response away from elimination. He recovered by making a series of difficult shots, eventually outlasting Mayo and Johnson to claim the first All-Star H-O-R-S-E title.
The victory capped an outstanding All-Star Weekend for Durant, who had scored 46 points in the Rookie Challenge the previous evening and earned the game's Most Valuable Player award.
2010 NBA All-Star H-O-R-S-E Results
| Finish | Player | Team | Final Letters |
|---|
| Champion | Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder | H-O-R |
| Eliminated | Rajon Rondo | Boston Celtics | H-O-R-S-E |
| Eliminated | Omri Casspi | Sacramento Kings | H-O-R-S-E |
Kevin Durant returned to defend his title in 2010 against Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo and Sacramento Kings rookie Omri Casspi. The competition took place during All-Star Weekend in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Casspi was eliminated first, leaving Durant and Rondo to compete for the championship. As the event progressed, the players relied increasingly on long-distance shooting. Durant eventually eliminated Rondo to become the first and only two-time winner of the NBA's All-Star Weekend H-O-R-S-E competition.
NBA H-O-R-S-E Participants by Season
| Season | Participants |
|---|
| 1977-78 |
Paul Westphal, Pete Maravich, Kevin Grevey, Maurice Lucas, Jo Jo White, Phil Smith, Bob McAdoo, John Drew, Terry Furlow, George Gervin |
| 2008-09 |
Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson, O. J. Mayo |
| 2009-10 |
Omri Casspi, Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo |
How the NBA H-O-R-S-E Competition Worked
The rules were based on the familiar playground version of H-O-R-S-E. A player attempted a shot and, if successful, the next player had to duplicate it. Failure to match the shot resulted in a letter. The objective was to avoid accumulating all five letters.
The NBA's All-Star version placed additional restrictions on the game. Players were not allowed to dunk, and each attempt had to be completed within a time limit. An official judged whether the attempted shot satisfied the challenge.
In 2009, the sponsor's name was incorporated into the contest, changing the elimination letters to G-E-I-C-O. The traditional H-O-R-S-E lettering returned in 2010.
Unlike the Slam Dunk Contest or Three-Point Contest, H-O-R-S-E did not use numerical scores. The result was determined by which players accumulated the full set of letters and which player remained.
NBA H-O-R-S-E Records and Facts
1977-78 tournament champion: Paul Westphal of the Phoenix Suns.
First All-Star Weekend champion: Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009.
Most All-Star Weekend championships: Kevin Durant, with two titles.
Only repeat All-Star Weekend champion: Kevin Durant won in both 2009 and 2010.
Most All-Star Weekend appearances: Kevin Durant, with two.
Total All-Star Weekend editions: Two, held in 2009 and 2010.
2009 participants: Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson and O. J. Mayo.
2010 participants: Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo and Omri Casspi.
Why the NBA H-O-R-S-E Competition Ended
H-O-R-S-E offered an unusual alternative to the NBA's traditional All-Star competitions, emphasizing shot-making creativity rather than speed, power or a fixed shooting course. However, the format was difficult to fit into a tightly scheduled television presentation because the length of the game depended on how quickly players could eliminate one another.
The 2010 contest eventually became heavily focused on long-distance shooting, reducing some of the variety that distinguished H-O-R-S-E from the Three-Point Contest. The event was removed from All-Star Weekend after 2010, leaving Kevin Durant as its only repeat champion.
Related NBA All-Star Competitions
Historical Sources
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