Keith Van Horn

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Lore & Background

Van Horn was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the second pick in the 1997 NBA draft and was traded to the New Jersey Nets on draft night. He was named to the 1998 NBA All-Rookie Team. Van Horn played for the Nets from 1997 to 2002, leading the team in scoring in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons and finishing fifth in the NBA in scoring with 21.8 points per game in the 1998–99 season. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2001–02 season and did not play in the NBA Finals for New Jersey. Van Horn would also go on to play for the 76ers, the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 16 points and nearly seven rebounds per game during his NBA career.

In Their Own Story

The Nets' path to the 2002 NBA Finals was punctuated by specific moments of Van Horn's clutch play. In the first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the series came down to a deciding Game Five. With the team needing a victory to advance, Van Horn erupted for 27 points in a 120–109 win that sent New Jersey to the Finals for the first time in franchise history. However, the finals themselves proved difficult; swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in four games, Van Horn faced criticism for his performance, averaging only 10.5 points and shooting 38.6% from the floor during the series. Despite the disappointment, his contribution of leading the team in rebounding throughout that regular season solidified his place as a core piece of the roster.

Reader's Guide

Keith Van Horn was a forward who played college basketball for the Utah Utes, where he was a consensus first-team All-American in 1997 and the all-time leading scorer in WAC history. He was drafted second overall in 1997 by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the New Jersey Nets on draft night. He led the Nets in scoring in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons. He later played for the 76ers, Knicks, Bucks, and Mavericks, reaching the NBA Finals with the Nets in 2002 and the Mavericks in 2006.

Did You Know?

• Van Horn was named to the 1998 NBA All-Rookie Team.
• He finished fifth in the NBA in scoring in the 1998–99 season with 21.8 points per game.
• Van Horn is the all-time leading scorer in University of Utah and WAC history with 2,542 points.
• He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1997.