Robert Parish

Infobox NBAretired


|width=
caption=
position= Center
height_ft = 7 | height_in = 1
weight_lbs = 250
number= 00
birthdate= birth date and age|1953|8|30
Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
deathdate=
debutyear=1976
finalyear=1997
draftyear= 1976
draftround= 1
draftpick= 8
college= Centenary
teams=
*Golden State Warriors (1976-1980)
*Boston Celtics (1980-1994)
*Charlotte Hornets (1994-1996)
*Chicago Bulls (1996-1997)
stat1label= Points
stat1value= 23,334
stat2label= Rebounds
stat2value= 14,715
stat3label= Blocks
stat3value= 2,357
letter=p
bbr=parisro01
highlights=
*Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2003)
*4x NBA champion
*1x All-NBA Second Team
*1x All-NBA Third Team
*9x NBA All-Star
*NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996)
*Boston Celtics #00 retired
HOF=robert-parish

Robert Lee Parish (born Birth date|1953|8|30 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1997, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His nickname was "The Chief", after the mute Native American in the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave Parish this nickname because of his stoic nature.

NBA career

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 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 manywho as the best frontcourt in NBA history and was dubbed the "Big Three".

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, [ [http://www.nba.com/history/players/stockton_41.html John Stockton: Still Going Strong at 41] , published March 26, 2003] and Kevin Willis of the Dallas Mavericks) and as of 2007, his 1,611 games played over 21 seasons are unmatched.

Legacy

He was known as a versatile center, using his impressive 7' 1/2" size and speed to contain opposing players, launch precise shots from outside , and finish s - 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.

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.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/history/players/parish_summary.html Robert Parish] NBA Legends Bio
* [http://www.nba.com/historical/playerfile/index.html?player=robert_parish nba.com historical playerfile]
* [http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=PARISRO01 NBA stats] @ basketballreference.com
* [http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/WhereAreThey_Parish.html Where Are They Now?: Robert Parish] @ NBA.com