Retiring from the NBA presented Horace with a world of options. Fortunately for him, he had some help picking his new home on the Central Coast of California, a beautiful part of the state where his wife spent her childhood. Today, Horace is very involved with basketball, but also focuses on spending time at home, working with charities and helping promote the community he now calls home.
Trading Big City Lights for Starry Nights
After retiring from 17 years in the NBA, Horace moved to the Central Coast of California with his wife Andrea to raise their growing family near Andrea’s hometown. When Horace was still playing in the league, the couple would frequently visit the area, promptly Horace to claim “Wow I could get used to this. I loved the small-town atmosphere, the relaxed feel, and I met a lot of good people around here. So I put my foot in my mouth and said, I think I might retire here. Andrea held me to it.”
After nearly two decades of moving between Chicago, Orlando and Los Angeles, Horace remembers the difficult transition back to small town life in 2004. Of his new hometown, Arroyo Grande, he claims “It is definitely different than Sparta, but it feels good to settle back into something a little more calm. I can spend time at the beach or hanging at home with my kids, and there’s no distractions, you know, like there are in big cities.”
“I loved the small-town atmosphere, the relaxed feel, and I met a lot of good people around here. So I put my foot in my mouth and said, I think I might retire here.”
When asked what currently keeps him busy in his day to day life, Horace laughs and begins to count on his hands, “Well there’s kids, kids, kids, kids, kids… I’m a full time Dad”. He has always been a family man, but with a growing team of his own, he has never been more proud to be a Grant. Horace and Andrea got married near the end of his career in 2003 and are now raising four children between the ages of two and seventeen; Elijah, Eva, Maia and Naomi.
Horace’s oldest daughter, Naomi is the artist of the family. While she is just entering her senior year of high school, Naomi is already looking to the future and working toward a career in fashion design. After graduation, she plans to study fashion and ultimately share her passion for design with the world. Watch out Fashion Week, here comes Naomi Grant.
Of his three girls, middle daughter Maia has taken the greatest interest in basketball, as well as volleyball and soccer, and was already 5’2’’ when she entered the fifth grade. When Maia isn’t on the court, you can be sure to find her spending time with her horse or helping take care of Eva and Elijah.
Eva, Horace’s youngest daughter, is “a runner and a jumper,” according to her father. “Andrea and I are pretty sure that Eva has a future in track – she’s so fast and she just loves to run,” says Horace. Eva loves gymnastics, horses and spending time with her little brother. Horace is excited to see what the future holds for Eva.
Horace also hopes to steer his son Elijah, who at two years old was already in the hundredth percentile of height for four year olds, toward a career in basketball. Grant claims “The kid can shoot hoops for hours. He wears me out. But as much as I’d hate to admit it, he looks pretty good with a football too.” Either way, it is absolutely certain that athleticism is in the DNA.
Revisiting the South
Horace recently had the opportunity to take his kids with him for the first time to visit his hometown in Sparta, Georgia. Horace’s proudest accomplishment as a professional athlete is being able to retire his parents within the first couple years after he got drafted. He immediately moved his mother out of the projects and into a big house, nicknamed Grantland, on the very same plot of land where she used to pick cotton as an odd job to make ends meet when he was young. Upon returning to Sparta, although his mother passed away many years ago, Horace was able to revisit the home that he built for her and see the lasting impression her contributions made on the city that shaped him.
“We live in a nice house, they go to great schools, but it was a different time and place for me when I was their age.”
“Bringing my kids to Sparta was the greatest thing I could do for them. We live in a nice house, they go to great schools, but it was a different time and place for me when I was their age.” Horace’s children were surprised by the state of the community, but were glad to have the unique opportunity to meet their father’s longtime friends and extended family. When asked what they were most surprised about when visiting the South, Grant exclaimed “Humidity! Man, I forgot about how bad it was. I swear you could cut through the air with a knife.”
Being reminded of his roots after reaching such immense success was truly special for Grant, who was able to appreciate how far he has come after visiting Sparta. He can fully appreciate his hard work as he is enjoying the life at the beach with his beautiful family, only ten minutes away from home while wearing four championship rings on his hand. Now, 32 years since his career began, Horace maintains he had the career of a lifetime, and it’s easy to believe that his journey is far from over.