By admin 
There have been horrific and heartbreaking incidents throughout history, but the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks reshaped American life almost overnight. Air travel, foreign policy, civil liberties, and countless other aspects of everyday life changed after 19 hijackers affiliated with Al-Qaeda took control of four commercial passenger airplanes and carried out coordinated attacks across the United States.
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More than two decades later, Robert Horry admitted that the horror of the day still lives in his mind. In fact, the seven-time NBA champ remembers exactly where he was when the attacks happened and how difficult it was to comprehend what he was watching on television.
9/11 was unlike anything the world had ever seen
On September 11, two hijacked planes were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers in New York City. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, while United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower.
A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth hijacked plane was believed to be headed toward a target in Washington, D.C., but never reached its intended destination. Passengers fought back against the hijackers, and the plane ultimately crashed into a field near Shanksville.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the coordinated attacks, making 9/11 the deadliest terror attack in world history. Additionally, it was a setback for firefighters and law enforcement officers in America, with over 300 firefighters and 70 officers losing their lives in the tragedy.
For Horry, the images were so shocking that his first reaction was to question whether what he was seeing was even real, thinking he was watching a fictional show rather than actual news.
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“I was at the dentist office with my first wife. I remember like it was yesterday. I’m like, ‘What TV show is this?’ They’re like, ‘That’s the news.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, crap!’ The second tower fell, I’m like, ‘Oh, my goodness,’” Horry recalled with a straight face on his podcast. “It was just devastating. Like, it was not real.”
Many have still never recovered
Even though it was 25 years since that horror show unfolded, it is impossible to erase the emotional impact of a tragedy of that magnitude. And that is exactly why, for anyone who saw that tragedy unfold, whether it was from the ground or from their television screens, the anniversary of September 11 can bring back memories of the fear, uncertainty and devastation.
With the United States facing an unprecedented threat, ordinary routines disappeared, and fear spread all across the country, something that Horry never wants to experience again.
“I remember people were going and get food and water and all that kind of stuff because it was like some about to go down,” Horry recalled. “We need to hunker down.”
Hopefully, future generations never have to experience a horror show like that; the visuals and psychological baggage of which are impossible to forget.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 1:41 PM.