On the Brink: Predicting the fates of 16 borderline NBA Hall of Famers
By Cal Durrett
4) Robert Horry
With championships valued more among NBA fans than fans of any of the sport, it's surprising that former player Robert Horry isn't in the Hall of Fame yet. To be fair, he has an unorthodox case, with him averaging seven points and five rebounds per game over his 16-year career
Even so, he was a big part of seven championships. Horry won two titles with the Houston Rockets playing alongside Hakeem Olajuwon, three with the Los Angeles Lakers playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and two with the San Antonio Spurs playing alongside Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker.
Some would call him incredibly lucky to have played with six Hall of Famers but Horry did hit many clutch shots and started on each of those teams. That makes him more than simply a ring chaser and it's possible that the Lakers wouldn't have repeated without Horry hitting a clutch 3 in Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings.
Or when he exploded for 21 points and the final 17 minutes of regulation and overtime as a member of the Spurs in Game 5 of the 2005 NBA finals against the Detroit Pistons. That helped swing the series in the Spurs his favor and his play in Game 7 helped them win their third championship and his sixth.
Ultimately, it comes down to how much people value rings. If they value it a lot, then Horry should be in the Hall of Fame; if they value individual performance as well, then they are fine with him not making it. Personally, he has a case but shouldn't make the Hall of Fame.