Sitting courtside the other day at the Lakers/Kings game, munching on Dyan Cannon's homemade brownies and making eye contact with Pamela Anderson, something struck me as rather strange.

Robert Horry cannot be stopped. Yes, that Robert Horry. He catches a pass on the left elbow and drills a trey from 24 feet. On the next trip, he hits one from the right elbow. Then he catches Doug Christie napping and zips Horace Grant a no-look for an easy dunk. And one. Then he tosses in an 18-footer from the top of the key and another trey.

As the quarter winds down, Horry swoops to the hole and flips a ho-hum finger roll as if he were dropping a grapefruit in a shopping cart. Thirteen points. Only the third time he has reached that total all year. Brimming with confidence and a seemingly fresh attitude, this felt like Horry's Houston days all over again. "I was just taking advantage of opportunities," Horry said "Just one of those times where I had to get myself going."

Well if he didn't do it, who else would? Certainly not his coach. Horry can't do a thing right in Phil Jackson's Ray Ban-framed eyes. Only a few of them can. So Horry and the other Laker role players have found a source of motivation from within.

Taped above his locker, Horace Grant has a short essay by Charles Swindoll titled "Attitudes." The essay states that attitude, above all, is the most crucial element of success. "More important than the past, education, money, circumstance, giftedness or skill. Attitude will make or break any company, church or home."

Or team, for that matter. If Horry plays with the attitude that got him a season-high 20 points and helped the Shaq-less Lakers win, he'll get his minutes. Despite his paltry 6.2 ppg, Horry is too good a player to be ignored by his coach. Without his contributions, the Lakers won't make it out of the West.

The essay finishes with this: "We cannot change the inevitable, we cannot change the fact that some people will act a certain way." As soon as I finish reading those words, Isiah Rider walks by me singing, Like a car I drive you out of your mind.

That Charles Swindoll is a pretty smart dude.