Paris Horne discusses TBT, St. John's, pro career to date

Revered to this day at St. John's, Paris Horne shared similar sentiment toward Red Storm as he led Overseas Elite to The Basketball Tournament championship. (Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News)

On and off the court, Paris Horne never forgets his roots.

For four years, the Delaware-born, Philadelphia-bred combo guard was the glue that held St. John's together, his versatility helping the Red Storm survive the wars of the Big East, and his willingness to do anything to further the team's growth being one of many contributing factors to a magical 2010-11 season that culminated with the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in nine years.

This past weekend, Horne remained true to who he was when he first arrived on the scene, scoring when needed and contributing in ways that the stat sheets will not reflect everywhere else during Overseas Elite's triumph in The Basketball Tournament. When the final buzzer sounded and the press conferences concluded, not once did he stray from the humble, soft-spoken leader he has been throughout his basketball life.

"The experience was crazy," he said as he recounted Overseas Elite's struggle to find a fifth player for their opening game before persevering on their way to a championship. "Our method and our motto was just 'survive and advance, survive and advance.' We had to win three in Atlanta, we got the three. We had to survive and advance in Chicago, and then we knew if we could get to New York and we had a full team, we could win this whole thing."

Through the uncertainty of filling a roster, one teammate remained constant for Horne, who won a championship alongside his longtime St. John's cohort D.J. Kennedy. Together, the two rallied around a local fan base that showed its support for the former Johnnies, an intangible that undoubtedly aided the one-time Big East stars.

"It was good because we were home," Horne candidly admitted. "It felt (like) home. A lot of our family members don't get to come overseas, a lot of our friends back home don't really get to watch us on TV, so for us to be here in New York and have the St. John's family and our immediate family see us on TV and here, it just feels good, and then playing with my brother D.J., we came into St. John's as freshmen, we battled each other, we made each other better, we know each other's games."

"All the St. John's guys are like my brothers," he proudly added. "I still talk to them today. Malik Boothe, he just went into California and he just won the Ballup Tournament out there for $500,000. Justin Burrell was in the stands supporting me. Sean Evans, he called me, Dele Coker, I talk to everybody, and they're still like my brothers. They've just always been there, and I'm grateful for it."

Much like Kennedy, who has had cups of coffee in the NBA while trying to sustain his professional career, Horne has faced a well-traveled road as well, but would not trade the experiences along the way for anything.

"It's been a tough road," Horne intimated. "You have your ups and downs, your battles, but that's life. You grow as a man, you grow as a person, you just learn the game more. If you pay attention to the game, you know you work on different things, work on being a pro. It's been great. I'm loving the experience, getting to see the world and just traveling, and I always come back to my roots. I always come back home and back to St. John's and talk to the fellas, work out with them, teach them little things."

"Under Coach (Steve) Lavin, I always came back," he continued while reminiscing about his days with the Red Storm, "and even now under Coach (Chris) Mullin being there now, I've been up there working with the guys and talking to Coach Mullin and the coaching staff, so it's been great."

Furthering the conversation about his alma mater, Horne shared the optimism many others around the St. John's community have as the corner of Union and Utopia readies for the first season of a new era, which has already shown signs of a promising future with Mullin at the helm. While admitting that one really does not know what to expect until the ball is tipped, Horne did compare the aura around St. John's and the hire of Mullin to the similar situation he faced going into his senior season five years ago, when Lavin replaced Norm Roberts.

"I think it's going to be a great opportunity having him back at the school," Horne gushed of Mullin, St. John's all-time leading scorer. "He's been there, he's a legend there, and he'll definitely know what he's doing. He's going to get some of the local kids, the New York kids that leave, I think he'll get a couple of local kids and continue to build on the progress. I think Coach is going to handle what he needs to handle, he'll get the players he needs. It's a building process, you know? I know New York fans want things right away, but sometimes we have to have patience. Rome wasn't built in one day, you know what I'm saying? It just takes time, but I think they'll be back to where they need to be."

Finally, just as he has always done, Horne spoke from the heart when imparting words of wisdom to players who are about to take their talents to the professional level, and what to do when plying their wares either overseas or in the NBA, advising the same strategy he has honed to perfection.

"I would just say stay humble and stay hungry," he cautioned. "In basketball, sometimes you go through ups and downs, but stay passionate about it. If you lose the passion for the game, it could have you everywhere, so stay passionate and stay humble, and just have fun with it, just enjoy it and embrace it."