Who's the Greatest NBA ROLE PLAYER Ever?

HAHAHAHAHAA.

 

Kevin McHale

 

Bobby Jones

 

Vinnie Johnson instantly came to mind.

But if you're putting Dennis Rodman in this category, it's hard for me to argue against that. Particularly from his days with the Pistons.

 

Horry Hoping to Add to Clutch Reputation

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050609...Q279LQF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

SAN ANTONIO - Robert Horry knows he probably could have been a better player during the first 47 minutes of most games in his career. He could have scored more points, earned more accolades and made more money.

But in the final minute, few have ever been better — particularly in the playoffs, where the Detroit Pistons are the latest team to dread seeing the ball in Horry's hands late in a close game.

One of the best clutch shooters in league history is closing in on several career playoff superlatives as he opens his sixth NBA Finals, this time with the San Antonio Spurs. The lanky forward is hoping to add a sixth championship ring to his fistful of jewelry, joining the elite club occupied by Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

By now, every serious basketball fan knows to watch Big Shot Bob when a playoff game gets tight. No matter where he goes or how much he plays, Horry seems to find himself deep in the postseason: He has reached the playoffs in all 13 of his NBA seasons, and he has built a singular reputation for his remarkable ability to shine when the spotlight is hottest.

This is Horry's gift, and his legacy — and even though he expected more from his career, he can't complain.

"A lot of the guys in this series have been All-Stars and they've won a lot of individual awards, but for me, that never happened," Horry said. "That's never going to happen. I'm never going to be in the Hall of Fame. I've just been grateful to be in these situations."

Horry could join John Salley as the only players in NBA history to win championships with three different teams — and only six players have ever won more than six titles, all with the Boston Celtics during the Bill Russell era.

Not many players who average fewer than eight points per game over their careers are as famous and feared as Horry — and not many have had their favorite childhood park named after them, as he recently did in his Alabama hometown of Andalusia.

"The funny thing about it is people think I'm 38 years old," said Horry, who's 34. "I guess I've been in the playoffs so many times and we've gone a long time, so people think, 'Oh, that guy's been around forever.' I'm really not old."

Coming off the bench in each of the Spurs' 16 conference playoff games, he has hit 23 3-pointers and averaged 8.8 points per game, fourth on the club. He hit his latest important shot in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, making a key 3-pointer in the Spurs' win over the Phoenix Suns.

"That's the guy you've got to watch," Detroit's Tayshaun Prince said. "He's incredible. I can't even think of all the big shots he's made."

Entering this series, Horry had made 222 3-pointers in the playoffs, second in NBA history to Reggie Miller's 320 — and Game 1 of the NBA Finals was expected to be his 192nd postseason appearance, one behind Karl Malone and Danny Ainge for third-most in league history. With four 3-pointers against Detroit, Horry could tie Jordan's record for the final playoff round.

Horry also believes he has taken more wide-open 3-pointers than any player in finals history, thanks to the good fortune of going into the round with talented, defense-distracting teammates such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in Houston (1994-95); Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (2000-02); and now, Tim Duncan.

"I've played with some great players," Horry said. "I've played with, like, six Hall of Famers. I've been in the right place at the right time. I feel bad for those guys like (Charles) Barkley, (Patrick) Ewing. They can always say, 'I'm a Hall of Famer.' I'm never going to be able to say that. I'll just say, 'Hey, I won some championships.'"

But would he trade any of those rings for a Hall of Fame career?

"Nope," he said. "It's a good trade-off. I know a lot of guys who probably would, but I'm just happy I've been on the teams and played with great people. I've just been really, really lucky."

But luck had little to do with his long list of clutch shots.

In 1997, he set the NBA record with seven 3-pointers without a miss in a semifinal playoff game. After countless similar baskets, he cemented his reputation in 2002 with a dramatic winning 3-pointer against Portland — and then another in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals to beat the Sacramento Kings, who were one miss away from a 3-1 lead on the Lakers.

So why does Horry keep succeeding where so many others fail? He believes he has learned to thrive on the adrenal rush caused by the desperation of playoff basketball — a rush that can't be present every night during an 82-game regular season.

"Plus, I take about six or seven months to get in shape," he joked.

Of course, Detroit has an answer to Horry in Chauncey Billups, who's also going by Big Shot these days after his clutch performances on the way to the Finals MVP award last season.

So who's the real Big Shot?

"I don't really like the name, so Chauncey can have it," Horry said.

 

Dennis Rodman

 

Kevin Mchale wasn't a role player. He was more like a sidekick. Robert Parish is probably closer to a role player than Mchale.

 

This is a tought call....I narrowed it down to McHale, The Microwave and Rodman....and I'll have to go with McHale on this one

 

this is what i get for posting with 4 hours of sleep...

Rodman it is then since McHale ain't on the list

 

He smoked the hippy lettuce verrrry effectively

 

We all hate him, but Scottie Pippen IMO deserves the title as the best role player of all time. David Robinson made a fine role player next to Tim Duncan too. Both guys only got rings as role players.

 

Kevin McHale was a role-player when he was playing with Parish and Bird, and especially when he was coming off the bench. He may not have been a career roleplayer, but he definitely saw quite a bit of time in that neck of the woods.

 

Just because Mchale came off the bench for a couple of years at the beginning of his career doesn't mean he was a role player. Is Ginobli a role player because he comes off the bench? Mchale was the Celtic's main lowpost scorer during much of his career. He was the second option on offense behind Bird, and with those long arms he was their best post defender too. Do the Celtics win those titles and go to all those Finals if you replace Mchale with a non-HOF big man? I don't think so. In my book that says that he's more than a role player.

 

Dennis Rodman hands down. His rebounding number in his prime was ridiculous, and he was one of the best one on one defender of all time.

 

There are Superstars, All-stars, Starters, and Bench warmers. I am just not sure I want to classify an All-star NBA player as a role player. I think I am more comfortable calling starters and #6 or #7 off the bench as the role players because a number of 6's could start. Therefore, McHale, Rodman, Ben Wallace, and others just don't fit my role-player definition because they were defensive all-stars. For this reason I would have to call Robert Horry the best role-players in modern basketball history, at least come playoff time.

Never seen anyone just live to come up big in the playoffs like Horry.

 

If role players were judged solely on playoff performance, Horry would win. But his production in the regular season is so poor that I wouldn’t consider him the best role player ever.

Of the players listed, I would choose Horace Grant. For a span of 10 years he was good for +12 points and +9 rebounds a game. Plus, he got a couple of all-defensive team selections. He’s the total package as far as: production in the regular season + playoff performance/championships + never more than a role player.

 

Rodman...

He had only one *role*, which was to grab rebounds, and man, did he ever.

 

Horry is about one more 'big shot' away from being a HOF lock.