NBA Finals, Game 5
Can you believe I've gone this long without writing about the NBA? Sure, until last night, these Finals have been so bad that we've had NOTHING to write about, but still! You'd think I've been going through major withdrawl pains!
Well, I have been. And I can't take it anymore.
Did you see the game? A fantastic overtime BATTLE that ended with the spurs winning by one. And one player cemented his case for the Hall of Fame last night. One player stepped up when his team needed him most, and proved--once again--that he is the differencemaker, that he is a true champion--one of the greatest champions ever.
Tim Duncan? Manu? Ben or Rasheed Wallace? Rip Hamilton? Chauncey Billups?
Hell no. Robert Horry.
He did it again. Horry COMPLETELY dominated the second half and overtime. Several times I found myself saying, "Wow, Tim Duncan is playing himself out of the Hall of Fame, and Robert Horry is playing his way in it."
I've been a Robert Horry fan since he came into the league. I believe that the 1994 and 1995 Rockets championships teams are some of the best in the history of the NBA, and Horry is a big reason for that. It worked out perfectly for him: he learned as soon as he entered the league that if he sat back and just did what he is good at, he'd be a winner forever. And that's what he's done his entire career. He is totally unselfish; the man sits bake, waits, and then absolutely KILLS you when it's time for him to do so.
I mean, how many times does he have to do it before it stops being luck? Some guys have a knack for knowing The Moment. I've written before about how people who truly know basketball know it is a game of Momentum. I promise you, if you told that to Horry, he would understand. Last night, he saw the piss streaming down Tim Duncan's leg, saw Manu standing there with that dazed look on his face, and saw Parker getting bent over and spanked like a French schoolgirl and said, "Well, if I don't stop them, no one will." Every time the Pistons made a run, he made a huge play. It's not a coincidence people. You don't do that for SIX CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS--and how many more would he have won if not for Shaq and Kobe being idiots--and it just be luck. For example: when Resheed made one of the worst plays in the history of basketball and doubled Manu, leaving Horry open for the killer three, did you have any doubt that it was going in? Any at all? I would have bet every penny I had that that was money. Hell, it rattled around a little bit, and that surprised me. The man was just incredible.
So I fully support the "Robert Horry for the Hall of Fame" movement that the media is starting. If Charles Barkely gets penalized for not winning a ring, then shouldn't Horry be rewarded for being the catalyst of six championship teams? I think so.
Just my thoughts.
Well, I have been. And I can't take it anymore.
Did you see the game? A fantastic overtime BATTLE that ended with the spurs winning by one. And one player cemented his case for the Hall of Fame last night. One player stepped up when his team needed him most, and proved--once again--that he is the differencemaker, that he is a true champion--one of the greatest champions ever.
Tim Duncan? Manu? Ben or Rasheed Wallace? Rip Hamilton? Chauncey Billups?
Hell no. Robert Horry.
He did it again. Horry COMPLETELY dominated the second half and overtime. Several times I found myself saying, "Wow, Tim Duncan is playing himself out of the Hall of Fame, and Robert Horry is playing his way in it."
I've been a Robert Horry fan since he came into the league. I believe that the 1994 and 1995 Rockets championships teams are some of the best in the history of the NBA, and Horry is a big reason for that. It worked out perfectly for him: he learned as soon as he entered the league that if he sat back and just did what he is good at, he'd be a winner forever. And that's what he's done his entire career. He is totally unselfish; the man sits bake, waits, and then absolutely KILLS you when it's time for him to do so.
I mean, how many times does he have to do it before it stops being luck? Some guys have a knack for knowing The Moment. I've written before about how people who truly know basketball know it is a game of Momentum. I promise you, if you told that to Horry, he would understand. Last night, he saw the piss streaming down Tim Duncan's leg, saw Manu standing there with that dazed look on his face, and saw Parker getting bent over and spanked like a French schoolgirl and said, "Well, if I don't stop them, no one will." Every time the Pistons made a run, he made a huge play. It's not a coincidence people. You don't do that for SIX CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS--and how many more would he have won if not for Shaq and Kobe being idiots--and it just be luck. For example: when Resheed made one of the worst plays in the history of basketball and doubled Manu, leaving Horry open for the killer three, did you have any doubt that it was going in? Any at all? I would have bet every penny I had that that was money. Hell, it rattled around a little bit, and that surprised me. The man was just incredible.
So I fully support the "Robert Horry for the Hall of Fame" movement that the media is starting. If Charles Barkely gets penalized for not winning a ring, then shouldn't Horry be rewarded for being the catalyst of six championship teams? I think so.
Just my thoughts.
posted by Michael Pondrom at 9:02 PM
3 Comments:
To Nick I say, "Do statistics tell the whole story?" I agree that they tell a lot, but not all. I kinda sit on the fence with Horry, mostly because I think there are too many in the basketball HOF. Here's my 2 cents worth.
Comparing Horry to Barkely or Jordan, or Shaq, or Olajuwan is not correct. Those guys were stars who anchored their team. Horry, though, was the glue guy. The guy who did all the little things that it takes for the TEAM to win. I guess my contention is that basketball is made up of individuals playing specific positions or roles on a TEAM for the good of the TEAM. The defensive specialists are just as important to winning as the scorers and rebounders. The team needs them all to succeed. And as a great model of the ultimate TEAM player, Horry should be considered for the HOF. I don't know that he should be in, but considered.
That being said, I think the HOF tries to be about great all-around players. I think the intention was to have guys like Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Kareem. Guys that could score, dish, rebound, play defense, whatever. They could do it all and do it all well.
I say tries because a lot of great niche players with marginal skills in other areas have made it (or will make it). Stockton could score and dish, but rebound? defense? Rodman was arguably the best rebounder to play the game, but could he do anything else. To some degree it gets back to the nature of basketball. Each player has his role. I think Rodman could have been a better scorer, but he played on teams that didn't need him to score and didn't want him to score. Horry's role has been to play D, rebound, and hit the open 3. He's done it so well, he has won more championships than most players even stay in the league. I don't think we should discount him because his role was not his team's centerpiece. Therefore, after much deliberation and what may seem like preaching to the choir, I think I will support Horry for the HOF.
Bo, I couldn't have put it any better myself. That was beautiful.
Shawn Bradley is retiring!!!
I know its not tasteful, but...
Ding Dong, the witch is dead!!...
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