12 Unforgettable Role Players on Championship Teams
Championship teams aren't structured solely on the notion of superstar players. Sure, it's necessary to procure franchise players in order to win. But adding key role players is needed to maintain a championship heartbeat.
No sport is immune to role players. They come in all shapes, sizes and talent levels.
We used basketball, hockey, football and baseball to explore 12 unforgettable role players on title-winning teams. These athletes helped bring championship rings to their cities and did it with clutch performances, powerful statistics and a will to win.
Let's delve into 12 names that fit those criteria.
Honorable Mentions
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With an outstanding crop of role players in sports, facilitating an honorable mentions slide was essential to the integrity of the article. Here are a handful of names that just missed out on making our final 12.
- Bruce Bowen, SF, San Antonio Spurs
- Percy Harvin, WR, Seattle Seahawks
- Jason Terry, SG, Dallas Mavericks
- Brad Johnson, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Ron Harper, PG, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers
- Trent Dilfer, QB, Baltimore Ravens
- Andrew Shaw, C, Chicago Blackhawks
- Michael Cooper, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
- Jeff Hostetler, QB, New York Giants
- Mike Jones, LB, St. Louis Rams
Robert Horry
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Big Shot Robert Horry is a name that's become synonymous with championship rings. Horry's 16-year NBA career earned him seven NBA titles.
He achieved championship aspirations with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
NBA titles and nostalgia make you think Horry was a prime-time performer. But his stats actually tell the story of a true role player. Over 1,107 regular-season games, Horry averaged only seven points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
When it came to the playoffs, that's where Horry shined. He hit big shot after big shot—hence the nickname—for each and every team he played for—this YouTube video showcases some of his best moments.
Role players come in many different forms. Horry happens to fall under the clutch category.
Bill Mazeroski
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It's kind of odd to call a Hall of Fame athlete a role player. But in Bill Mazeroski's case, he fits the description.
Mazeroski's career stats aren't overwhelming by any means. His lifetime average of .260 combined with 138 home runs and 853 RBI don't blow you away—granted, he was an outstanding defensive player.
But that doesn't mean he is a surefire Hall of Fame candidate.
Instead, Mazeroski's occupancy on the diamond is defined by a historic home run to end Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees. The walk-off moment remains a fixture for Pittsburgh sports fans.
Without his willingness to swing away, the Pirates wouldn't have claimed their third World Series title.
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Andre Iguodala
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The 2014-15 NBA Finals were all about the Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors' run to the top. So it was a bit weird that when they finally claimed NBA supremacy, Andre Iguodala was the one handed the Finals MVP trophy.
Iguodala wasn't a superstar. He wasn't on the same wavelength all year as Curry, Draymond Green or Klay Thompson.
What he represented was a role player who stepped up in a crucial moment. The Warriors forward concluded the NBA Finals with 16.3 points, four assists and 5.8 rebounds per game on 52.1 percent shooting.
He also was tasked with defending LeBron James, holding him to 38.1 percent shooting when they shared the court, per ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss—let's keep in mind James' did average a bonkers 35.8 points per game in the Finals.
Role players stepping up and helping usher in a championship warrants an unforgettable label. That's why Iguodala belongs here.
Malcolm Smith
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Going from a productive regular-season linebacker to an unquestioned Super Bowl MVP is grounds for being deemed a championship-caliber role player.
Malcolm Smith helped the Seattle Seahawks thrash the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. A 43-8 decimation of the Broncos was due in part to Seattle's unique defensive effort. Smith was part of that, registering 10 total tackles, a fumble recovery and a pick-six.
All of his Herculean efforts led Smith to claim MVP honors, making him the first defensive player to win the award since Dexter Jackson did it in 2002.
Not bad for a guy who has never made it to a Pro Bowl.
Derek Fisher
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Years before Derek Fisher was the former head coach of the New York Knicks, he was a crucial piece to the Los Angeles Lakers' ongoing championship puzzle.
Fisher was planted between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal for the better part of his career, winning five titles with the Lakers.
Thirteen seasons in Los Angeles turned Fisher into a Hall of Fame-worthy role player—you know, if the Hall was built for role players. Something about his ability to control Phil Jackson's triangle offense was welcomed time and time again.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne wrote about Fisher's final tenure with the Lakers in 2010. Tucked between all of those words was the best evidence of his importance as a role player:
"Because Fisher can still remember the sound of an entire city cheering for him at the Lakers' championship parade in June, the echo of his two game-changing 3-pointers in Game 4 of last year's NBA Finals in Orlando and the quiet self-satisfaction he felt in the locker room afterward when his teammates shook their heads and happily muttered "He did it again."
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His clutch shooting and non-stop reliability allowed Fisher to etch his name in the marble slab that makes up Lakers history.
David Eckstein
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David Eckstein would become an unlikely hero for the St. Louis Cardinals amidst the 2006 World Series.
Heading into the '06 clash between the National League's best and the American League winner, the Cardinals had posted an 83-78 record. Though above .500, they were up against a Detroit Tigers team that had won 95 games.
Those records didn't matter. The Cardinals took the Tigers down, 4-1, and Eckstein was a big reason why.
The 5'7" shortstop racked up eight hits—tied for the best on the team—batted .364 and drove in four runs. His striking totals at the plate earned him the title of World Series MVP.
Sometimes role players can help determine championships. Eckstein's World Series run in '06 remains a leading example of that.
Toni Kukoc
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The Chicago Bulls' championship years were pushed forth by a group of role players combined with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Toni Kukoc was a peak performer for the Bulls in terms of being a role player. He spent seven seasons with the team—1993 until '00—winning three NBA titles in the process.
What was so great about Kukoc was his versatility on the court. He was a stretch shooter who could score the ball, spread the wealth and play defense. No wonder current NBA rookie Dragan Bender grew up watching him play, per Sam Borden of the New York Times.
Those assets made him not only a winner of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award, but also an indispensable member of the Bulls.
Dexter Jackson
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Dexter Jackson spent six years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, notching 73 games and 42 starts. None were bigger than his performance in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Jackson's efforts were part of a Super Bowl rout. The Bucs destroyed the Oakland Raiders that year, 48-21, relying on one of the NFL's top defenses.
He would take home MVP honors, securing two interceptions and netting 34 return yards.
Jackson became a microcosm of the Buccaneers. Despite no Pro Bowl experience, Jackson, like the rest of the team, performed admirably on football's grandest stage.
Ray Allen
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Ray Allen reinvented himself as an all-star role player when he signed with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2012.
Heading toward what would be the twilight stage of his career, Allen was in the hunt for another championship. In that regard, he came up big.
Allen averaged 10.9 points per game coming off the bench for Miami during the 2012-13 season. He was an important role player all season, suiting up for 79 games.
But his true golden, championship-caliber moment arrived in Game 6 of the NBA Finals that year. With time rapidly ticking away, Allen buried a game-tying, obscene three-point shot to push the contest into overtime.
Miami would go on to win Game 6 and eventually close out the series, cementing Allen as an unforgettable role player.
Timmy Smith
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One-hit wonders also tend to masquerade as role players, as was the case with Washington Redskins running back Timmy Smith.
Super Bowl XXII saw Smith turn into a one-man wrecking crew. He ran all over the Denver Broncos, leading Washington to a 42-10 visceral beat down of grandiose proportions.
The final wave of stats saw Smith carry the ball 22 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns. He was a battering ram of sorts, a guy who couldn't be tackled.
A performance like that would make one believe Smith was destined for regular-season greatness. Sadly, that wasn't the case.
Smith only played three years the NFL before his career concluded. He's now remembered for being a role player who helped the nation's capital win it all.
Steve Kerr
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It's crazy how former NBA players reinvent themselves as head coaches. That's been the case with Steve Kerr, frontman for the Golden State Warriors.
Before Kerr was letting Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson launch threes, he played with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, winning a grand total of five NBA titles.
Kerr's bread and butter has always been shooting the long ball. He remains the NBA's all-time leader for three-point field-goal percentage. His efficient shooting made him a big time commodity who logged valuable minutes with both the Bulls and Spurs.
Today, the longtime NBA guard realizes how important all players can be, as the NBA's official Twitter account mentioned. It's cool to witness such an iconic role player embrace an all-in mantra when it comes to the team he coaches.
Phil Kessel
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Phil Kessel's transition from Toronto Maple Leafs star to Pittsburgh Penguins role player was one that resulted in a Stanley Cup victory.
Scribing about his role with the Penguins, Ken Campbell of the Hockey News used bold words to describe Kessel's impact: "This is something that simply needs to be said. The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of winning their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history because of Phil Kessel."
Kessel ranked third in playoff goals scored with 10, fourth in total points and first in shots taken. Overall, he turned his previous woes—like major issues with his former team—into a Stanley Cup win.
Though he's a remarkable talent, playing alongside Sidney Crosby earned him role player honors.
All stats and information via Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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