Give Big Shot Bob a Spot on the 2006 World Championship Team

Spurs reserve Robert Horry hit another big, game-winning shot last night. Some analysts have argued that Horry is the best role-player ever. Is he? I suppose the answer would depend on one's definition of a role-player. Horry, for example, has started nearly half of the games he's played during his career, and was a starter for the Houston teams that won NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

Still, Horry is playing for his sixth championship ring, his fourth in a supporting role. After leaving Houston and losing a spot in a starting line-up after his best season in the league (1995-96), Horry has been one of the league's most reliable role-players and a great clutch shooter. (In 2002 he ruined my anyone-but-the-Lakers dream when he beat the buzzer and the Kings with a 30-foot three-pointer.) Sure, he's been on great teams, but playing an important role in five NBA championship runs (and possibly six by the end of this week) speaks volumes for a player.

Horry will not make the Hall of Fame, and he shouldn't, given that he has averaged only 7.5 points-per-game for his career. Still, he has had an extraordinary career, is a complete player, and is a player who understands his role. USA Basketball should reward Robert Horry with a spot on the 2006 World Championship Team. Critics of USA Basketball have charged that the team's defeat in Athens was due to a lack of shooters, a lack of role-players, and selfish play. Who better to solve that problem than Big Shot Bob?