Robert
Parish
Robert
Lee Parish (born on August 30, 1953 in Shreveport, Louisiana),
is an American former basketball center. His nickname was "The
Chief", after the mute Native American in the film
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. According to legend, former
Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave Parish this nickname
because of his stoic nature.
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, where he played his best years. 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, he 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 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 oldest player
to ever play an NBA game, and as of 2006 his 1,611 games
played over 21 seasons are unmatched.
He was
known as a versatile center, using his impressive (7ft ½in/2.15
m) size in defense to contain opposing players, while being
able to launch precise shots from outside the paint and
to finish fast breaks thanks to his speed, which was uncanny
for a man of his stature.
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 00 jersey
number in 1998. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall
of Fame in 2003.
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Robert
Parish. (2007, January 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 02:51, January 12, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Parish&oldid=98784682 |
