Robert Parish - The Chief

Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953(1953-08-30) in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1997, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.After a modest career at Centenary College of Louisiana, Parish was drafted in the first round of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, before being sent to the Boston Celtics. He compared his transition from Golden State to Boston in a televised quote where he jokingly said it was like going from an outhouse to a penthouse. Playing 14 years with the Celtics from 1980 to 1994, Parish led the league in rebounding and blocks per game during his first three years. He also won three NBA titles (1981, 1984 and 1986) teaming with legendary small forward Larry Bird and power forward Kevin McHale. The trio is regarded by many as the best frontcourt in NBA history and was dubbed the "Big Three".He was known as a versatile center, using his impressive 7'0 size and speed to contain opposing players, launch precise shots from outside the paint, and finish fast breaks - the latter uncanny for a man of his stature. Fellow Hall of Famer and teammate from 1985-87 Bill Walton once called Parish the "greatest shooting big man of all time", perhaps because of Parish's field goal and free throw shooting ability, an unusual talent among most centers. His trademark was his high release jump shot, which traversed a very high arc before falling.He played two more seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and then played his final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97, which led to his fourth NBA title. At 43, he is the third oldest player to ever play an NBA game (to Nat Hickey of the Providence Steamrollers, and Kevin Willis of the Dallas Mavericks) and as of 2007 his 1,611 games played over 21 seasons are unmatched.In honor of his achievements, the Celtics retired Parish's famous #00 jersey number in 1998 at halftime of a Celtics-Pacers game; this allowed Larry Bird, then head coach of the Pacers, to participate in the ceremony. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish, along with teammates Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.Today, he remains active as the Celtics' team consultant and mentor for current Celtics' big men.

Channel: Sports
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: VeoShock

Length: 02:02
Rating: 4.58
Views: 8475

Tags: basketball  

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