The Boston Celtics’ 2024-25 season was defined by their love affair with the three-point shot, a strategy that propelled them to glory in the previous year but led to their downfall this season. Under head coach Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics launched an unprecedented number of threes during the regular season and playoffs, a tactic that thrilled analytics enthusiasts but left basketball traditionalists shaking their heads. One such critic, seven-time NBA champion and former Los Angeles Lakers star Robert Horry, didn’t hold back when he appeared on the Boston-based Jones & Keefe show to dissect the Celtics’ failure to repeat as champions.
Horry, now an analyst for a Los Angeles broadcast, brought his championship pedigree and sharp insight to the table, offering a candid take on Boston’s shortcomings. “I think they fell in love with the three ball too much,” Horry said. “You had success last year doing it, but [don’t] forget Jaylen Brown is not an efficient three-point shooter. He won MVP for you in the Finals, and how did he do that? By just going to the hole and getting buckets.”
“You can’t settle like the Celtics did this year. They had fat cat syndrome more than anybody.”
Robert Horry won back-to-back titles with the Rockets. He three-peated with the Lakers.
What went wrong with the #Celtics‘ pursuit of back-to-back titles? @RKHorry joined to discuss pic.twitter.com/kjjQnX1hsZ
— Jones & Keefe (@JonesandKeefe) June 4, 2025
Horry’s critique didn’t stop there. He argued that the Celtics’ reliance on long-range shooting made them complacent, sapping their drive to attack the basket. “When you shoot a lot of threes, you don’t want to work hard,” he explained. “It’s easy to get off the three compared to getting to the hole and pulling up for a jumper. It’s a lot of work. Kobe Bryant did it. And look at the MVP this year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He doesn’t shoot a lot of threes; he manufactures points by getting to the basket and getting to the free-throw line.”
Horry’s comments struck a nerve, particularly because they came from a Lakers legend, reigniting the historic rivalry between the two franchises. He pointed to Boston’s “fat cat syndrome,” suggesting the team became lazy, settling for easy threes instead of grinding for tougher, high-percentage shots. This over-reliance on the three-point shot was glaringly evident in their Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to the New York Knicks. In Game 1, the Celtics set NBA playoff records for the most three-point attempts (60) and misses (45) in a single game. The third quarter was particularly telling, with 19 of their 20 shots coming from beyond the arc. In the second half alone, 34 of their 41 shot attempts were threes, a strategy that backfired spectacularly.
THE CELTICS GO 12-19 FROM THREE IN THE FIRST HALF AT MSG 🔥
Boston shot 25-100 from behind the arc in the first two games in the series 😲 pic.twitter.com/PEK6vkVgTC
— ESPN (@espn) May 10, 2025
This lack of balance cost Boston dearly, as they squandered leads in multiple games during the series. The team’s obsession with the three-pointer led to a noticeable lack of aggressiveness, which seeped into their defensive effort and overall intensity. Horry’s blunt assessment—that the Celtics’ reliance on threes made them soft—has sparked outrage among Boston fans, who see it as a direct jab from a Lakers icon. Yet, his words carry weight, given his seven championship rings and deep understanding of what it takes to win at the highest level.
As the Celtics head into the offseason, Horry’s critique, however stinging, may serve as a wake-up call. The team must reevaluate its philosophy and find a balance between their analytics-driven approach and the gritty, attacking style that Horry and other traditionalists champion. Ironically, the sage advice from a Lakers legend might be exactly what Boston needs to hear to reclaim their place atop the NBA. For now, though, Horry’s comments have poured gasoline on the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, and Boston fans are fuming.