11 Houston Rockets' role players who will never be forgotten

2. Mario Elie

Mario Elie was tough-nosed and understood his role. He played with true grit and hustle.

Elie was one of the better reserves in the league during his early Rockets days, and was the Rockets' second-leading scorer off the bench during their 1993-94 championship season.

And in 1994-95, the Rockets wouldn't have won the title were it not for Elie's heroics in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. With just 11 ticks remaining in the game and the score tied 110-even, Elie hit the greatest shot in team history and blew a kiss to the Phoenix Suns' bench, which has been dubbed the "Kiss of Death."

Elie became a starter for the Rockets during the 1995 NBA Finals, averaging 16.3 points, 57.1 percent from three, and 90 percent from the free throw line.