OAKLAND, Calif. -- First Jeff Hornacek teamed with Natalie Williams to win the Sony All-Star 2ball championship. Then he successfully defended his title in the AT&T 3-point Shootout.
What's next? Late entry into the NBA.com Slam Dunk Contest?"Uhhh . . . no," Hornacek said.
How about canceling those plans to retire after this season, then, and return to try to make it a threepeat in the 3-point contest?
"Again," Hornacek said, "uhhh . . . no."
Hornacek decided to go out on top at All-Star Weekend, and did just that by having a hand in winning both of the long-distance shooting events on All-Star Saturday at The Arena in Oakland.
Make that . . . a hot hand.
"I knew Jeff would make all his shots," said Williams, a star forward for the Utah Starzz who was paired with Hornacek for her first 2ball appearance. "Because he's the money man."
A much-richer money man as of Saturday night, too.
Hornacek, who made most but not exactly all of his shots, and Williams, who did some pretty nifty shooting herself, split $25,000 for winning the 2ball, a contest that involves alternate shooting between the NBA and WNBA teammates as the clock winds down from one minute.
Hornacek picked up another $25,000 for taking the Shootout, in which he had one minute to shoot five balls from five different racks stationed around the floor.
By winning the 2ball, he also had a chance to take the million-dollar shot - yet another promotional event on an evening capped by Vince Carter's victory in the slam dunk contest.
Hornacek's shot from three-quarters court would have been worth $250,000 to his designated charity, the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, $250,000 to NBA Charities, and another $500,000 to split among a section of fans he was selected to represent.
His shot was off the mark, but still worth $100,000 to the Huntsman Institute.
"That was a pretty weak attempt I had," Hornacek said. "You debate whether you should shoot it two-handed, or throw a baseball shot up there."
Hornacek went with two hands, and didn't even hit the backboard.
"I went against my own advice," he said. "The (halftime contestants at Jazz games) have halfcourt shots, and they never get it. We're sitting on the sidelines watching, and saying 'At least hit the backboard.' And then I go ahead and do the same thing. Obviously, looking back, I should have thrown it with one hand."
But that was the least of his worries on a night that wasn't about the money, anyway. This one was for the family -- especially his two sons, Ryan, 11, and Tyler, 9, and his daughter, Abby 5.
"If the kids didn't come," Hornacek said, "I wouldn't be here."
The children not only came . . . they participated.
After Hornacek and Williams won the 2ball -- with Williams hitting a key shot to tie the Phoenix team of Jason Kidd and Jennifer Gillom, and Hornacek nailing the one that won it in the finals -- it was Abby who walked away with the prize. And while Hornacek was winning the 3-point Shootout, scoring 13 to defeat Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas (11) and Milwaukee's Ray Allen (10), there was Abby, kissing and blowing on the shiny gold 2ball trophy.
When Hornacek was done, he had another trophy to hand to his kids. This one was snapped up by Tyler, who clutched it as if he had won it by himself.
Trophies in hand, the two of them followed their papa to the media interview room. Ryan, meanwhile, stayed behind to watch the slam dunk contest, which Carter won after advancing to the final round along with Toronto teammate Tracy McGrady, his cousin, and Steve Francis of Houston.
Carter (98 points) beat Francis (91) and McGrady (77) in the finals with a two-dunk effort that started with a fancy jam that ended with him hanging on the rim, then a rather conservative length-of-the-court, two-hand power jam that didn't exactly electrify the crowd at The Arena.
"I wasn't too happy with it," Carter said, "but I'll take it."
The Hornacek kids, meanwhile, will take home some memories of their own.
"In New York (where Hornacek first won his 3-point title), Abby had a 104-degree temperature, and slept through it in my wife's arms," he said. "That's a big thing for me -- that the kids were able to come."
It's not enough, though, to make him play another NBA season -- especially not with his bad knee, the one that was surgically repaired this past summer -- still giving him fits now and then.
Williams, though, leads the list of hopefuls lobbying for Hornacek to return.
"I understand he's hurting. I understand the pains and injuries in sports," she said. "But maybe he can just come back as an honorary shooter for me."
The kids probably would not mind. But Jeff?
Uhhh . . . no.