Robert Parish: NBA Player Profile

The Boston Celtics have one of the richest histories of any franchise in the NBA today filled with characters that could easily have been pulled out of an epic sports adventure. Robert Parish, "The Chief" was a member of the "Big Three", by far one of the most dominant groups of players this dynamic franchise has ever seen. Along with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Robert Parish made up what is widely regarded as the greatest front courts of all time and added three banners to the crowded rafters of Boston Garden.

He is one of the greatest NBA players in the history of the league.

Parish was drafted in 1976 to the Golden State Warriors and then traded to the Boston Celtics in 1980. In a televised interview, Parish compared the move to Boston as "transferring from an outhouse to a penthouse". Well then. Parrish was an extremely unique player at the center position mostly due to his shooting ability. His field goal percentage and free throw percentage were unusually high for a player of his size and position. Bill Walton once referred to him as "the greatest mid range shooting big man in the history of the game". His trademark move was a high arcing jump shot that practically bounced off the ceiling before hitting the basket.

Parish was built perfectly for the game of basketball and his unique skill set combined with his size made him a nightmare match up for opposing teams. He was an incredibly versatile center. Most centers are slowed down by their size but Parish was able to use the combination of his size and speed as a weapon. It was unheard of for a big man to finish fast breaks in the NBA and Parish did it on an astonishingly regular basis.

Parish, who was nicknamed "The Chief" by his teammate Cedric Maxwell after a character from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" due to his stoic nature, played for 14 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He played for other teams during his 21 year playing career but always felt that he would be a Celtic at heart. During his tenure with the Celtics, the Big Three led their team to three NBA titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986. It was truly the end of an era in 1994 when Parish, the lone active member of the Big Three, left Boston to sign with the Charlotte Hornets as a free agent. He played in Charlotte for two seasons before signing with the Chicago Bulls and winning his fourth and final championship ring in 1998.

At 43, Parish was the oldest player ever to compete in an NBA game and holds the record for longest playing career at 1,611 games and 21 years. The Celtics honored Parish in 1998 by retiring his number #00 to the rafters during halftime of a Celtics vs. Pacers game. Larry Bird was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers at the time and was there to participate in the ceremony. In 2003, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Larry Bird once called Parish the most unselfish player he ever played with. Parish himself said that sometimes it was hard for him to believe how good they were together along with fellow big man Kevin McHale. "Some nights I'd be out there kicking some guys butt, really feeling it and I'd look over at what Larry was doing or what Kevin was doing and I'd say "Man, this is something special". It was something special indeed.