Robert Horry: The Definition of a Role Player

Horry! Horry! Horry! Horry! Horry!

Robert Horry, or Big Shot Rob, was always known for coming up huge down the stretch. Arguably the finest shot in his 16-year career came in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings in 2002, when his game-winner capped off a Lakers comeback from as much as a 24-point deficit in the first half.

He was never the guy to score 25-30 points per game. He was never the Vince Carter-type showman.

But Horry didn't need to do anything of that, because he was just the best role player a teammate or a coach could ever ask for.

Quality One: A Role Player must fill up the depth chart with his versatility

Horry has played with three of the greatest big men in NBA history in Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon.

However, he was a starter with O'Neal and Olajuwon for good reason: He fit perfectly down low with them.

As we all know, Horry is obviously a great shooter at his power forward position. Next to a low-post banger such as O'Neal and Olajuwon, a team typically has a shooting power forward.

But, Horry could also play like a small-forward when he caught the ball on the perimeter.

In his younger days with the Rockets and the Lakers, a defender would definitely need to respect his shooting touch. Because of this, the younger, quicker, and more athletic Horry could also drive the ball inside to make an easy layup or dunk, because at 6'10", no one was blocking the shot.

Not only is Horry an accomplished and legitimate threat to score, but he also was a very good passer. He also did not turn the ball over often at all due to quality ball handling skills. Over his career, he held a low average of 1.24 turnovers in 24.5 minutes.

And then, on the defensive end, Horry could guard the majority of the big men in the NBA and then recover to crash the boards. He was fairly foul prone, but a coach doesn't mind about one foul per 10 minutes from a big man.

Because of his versatility, Horry filled the depth chart since he could play at either forward position as well as center.

So far, Horry looks like a power forward version of Lamar Odom, doesn't he?

Well, there is even more to him.

Quality Two: A Role Player has confidence and plays hard the entire game

The point of a role player is to play at their strengths. Role players aren't meant to mix it up if they are not performing well in one area of the game.

If their shot is not falling, they are not going to stop shooting the ball. They will continue to think that the next shot is going in.

This is exactly how Horry played the game.

In a role player's head, there is no such thing as an "off night." No one is to blame the role player for a loss, because there are a lot of things they do that don't go into the stats.

If they are having a poor shooting night, they will still wait for the next shooting opportunity and won't pass up shots. They will play the game the same way 100 percent through, which will include doing normal things such as passing, rebounding, and defense.

Role players don't have to be consistent—that's what the stars are for. Instead, they are meant to make the stars shine like stars.

Quality Three: A Role Player plays like a seasoned veteran throughout their career

Horry may have played in the league for 16 years, but ever since he was a rookie, he has always played like an experienced, fundamentally sound, and seasoned veteran.

How?

While someone such as Ray Allen may spend his entire life perfecting his shooting, a role player strengthens all of the basketball skills. Not every skill will be perfected, but every skill will have an impact on the game.

This is why it doesn't matter if a player's shot does not fall, because they have other skills to bounce on.

Thus, with this matured game, they play like veterans. There are some things that they will seem to know better than superstars, even if they are rookies.

Quality Four: A Role Player is humble

If one is a role player, they must know that they are not going to be the best player on the court.

They must know that they probably won't score 50 points in a game or set any records—although Horry did set finals records with five three-pointers in one quarter and seven steals in a game.

And they don't try to do those things. If they do, then great, although it is just because they are playing through the flow of the game.

Role players will pass up some shots, but only if they see that someone else has a better shot. If they have the opportunity to make a huge, highlight-reel play, but with overall a high risk, low reward, they will not go for it.

And most importantly, someone like Horry needs to be willing to start or come off the bench.

Finally, these guys don't ask for $10 million or anything really close to that, despite the quality things they do that just don't show up in the stats.

Quality Five: A Role Player steps up when called upon

This is the quality that sets Horry apart from the rest.

He is arguably the most clutch player of all time, coming up with huge shots in the postseason. He was not afraid to fire at will.

A team should have never left him open, but many made that mistake.

Throughout his entire career, he hit clutch shots. But because he played with superstar players, he has been mistakenly forgotten.

The obvious big shots were the one against the Kings in 2002 and against the Pistons in the 2005 Finals. But, a less commercialized one was against the Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals, in which Robert Horry drained the game-winning three-pointer with 14 ticks left.

In 2007, he proved that once a clutch player, always a clutch player. In the first round against the Nuggets, the team probably foolishly seemed to have thought that he had lost his touch.

Not so, as he hit yet another huge three-pointer in game four.

It has to be a crime to leave someone like him open. How can you miss him? Aside from his array of clutch shots, he's big at 6'10" and 240 pounds.

Overall: Horry defies the meaning of a role player

Horry is probably the greatest player you will ever see that only scored seven points a game in his career.

It does not matter how many he scored, but rather, when he scored.

Unlike some "stars" you see today, Horry would play the game 100 percent on both ends of the court. He'd make a mistake here and there, but as an observer, you just know that he would make up for it. He was a very versatile player, and a perfect fit on his teams.

And no one was more clutch than Robert Horry. I really don't even think Michael Jordan was. Really.

Is he Hall of Fame worthy?

Although many fans would say no because they believe he is overrated for his rings, I say yes.

You don't have to be the biggest superstar to be inducted into the Hall of Fame—it's about making your impact on the game. Those seven rings? I can't guarantee that the teams would not have gotten them without him. But the point is he was a large contributor on all those teams.

To get into the Hall of Fame, it isn't always about numbers and accomplishments. If you want numbers, though, he set the Finals record for three-pointers in a quarter with five and steals in a game with seven.

And the basketball Hall of Fame is the one thing that isn't all about basketball skill—it's about greatness. Robert Horry did the things to separate the good from the great.

Maybe I'm thinking much too high on him. However, consider that before Horry came into the league, role players were overlooked for years.

Nowadays, you don't hear about role players that hung around in the 1970s or the 1980s; you hear about Chamberlain, Russell, Baylor, and Robertson. Many of those role players who helped these superstars become successful are forgotten.

But Horry? Horry should and will be a name that sticks around forever.

Article credit due to sas45champs at RealSportsTalk.