Robert Parish is an NBA legend who has had a long and illustrious career in the sport. He was part of three championship-winning teams and a nine time All-Star during his time in the league. His longevity, skill, and sheer determination are just some of the reasons why he is remembered fondly by basketball fans across the world.
Nicknamed ‘The Chief’, Robert Parish began his basketball journey at Centenary College in Louisiana before being drafted into the NBA by Golden State Warriors in 1976. During his 15 seasons with the team, he won two NBA championships (1981 and 1984) as well as four division titles. In 1983, he moved to Boston Celtics where he won another championship (1986) and five more division titles over eight seasons with them.
Parish finished off his NBA career playing for Charlotte Hornets (1994–1996), Chicago Bulls (1996–1997) and Milwaukee Bucks (1997). Over all those years, he established himself as one of the greats of professional basketball – not only through championships but also through milestones achieved on court such as becoming one of only two players to have scored 20 points or more per game for 14 straight seasons, setting an NBA record for total minutes played as well as most games played without missing a single game due to injury or illness throughout his entire career!
In 1996, Robert Parish was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame – cementing his legacy among other star players from past and present generations. Throughout this article we will take a look back at Parish’s incredible accomplishments both on and off court; exploring what makes him one of greatest ever power forwards to have graced the hardwood courts around the world.
Robert Parish – Early Life
Robert Parish was the firstborn child of Robert Sr. and Ada Parish. At an early age, he showed great potential in sports, catching the attention of Coleman Kidd – a junior high coach – when he stood 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall during seventh grade. Under Coach Kidd’s guidance, Robert began playing basketball for the first time, wearing his now-iconic No. 00 jersey which was the only one left on distribution day.
Despite being unfamiliar with the game initially, Parish grew to love it thanks to Kidd’s encouragement and dedication to coming by his house every day until he had developed enough confidence to practice independently. He eventually attended Woodlawn High School in Shreveport, Louisiana where he flourished under Ken Ivy’s coaching and led them to a 1972 Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class AAAA state championship title; earning him All-American, All-State, All-District and All-City honors at the same time.
Robert Parish – College
Joseph Parish chose to attend Centenary College of Louisiana in his hometown from 1972-1976, where he played for Coach Larry Little. While the college was close to his home and had great coaches, it received little attention due to a harsh NCAA penalty – the 1.6 rule adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1965. This rule meant that freshmen were only academically qualified if their high school grades and test scores predicted a minimum GPA of 1.6 on a 4-point scale. Despite this limitation, Parish was still drawn to Centenary because of its excellent coaching staff.
Parish, who had guided Woodlawn High School in Shreveport to the pinnacle of Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class AAAA state champion title in 1972, took a standardized test that did not follow NCAA’s formula. Thus, Centenary altered his score to one that matched the formula; this was done for 12 other athletes as well over a two-year period. This practice violated NCAA rules and regulations but went unnoticed by them until Parish’s recruitment process began.
Just before Parish was about to enroll, the NCAA sent out notification to Centenary declaring that he and four other basketball players whose scores were converted were ineligible to play there. However, they also mentioned that if these five scholarships were rescinded then no penalty would be imposed on the school. In reply, Centenary asserted that the rule did not specifically state or indicate that it could not convert these results while the NCAA argued otherwise citing their inability to use said tests taken by Parish and others for eligibility purposes.
When Centenary refused to withdraw the scholarships, the NCAA issued one of its most severe sanctions in history. The school’s basketball program was put on probation for six years and barred from any postseason play; their results and statistics were excluded from weekly rankings, while their existence was not even acknowledged in the organization’s annual press guides.
In a matter of days after their decision, the NCAA removed the 1.6 rule but still did not make the five players eligible. Subsequently, they all sued for eligibility at Centenary – including Parish – but unfortunately lost. This made Parish an “invisible man” who still achieved great statistical numbers without being noticed. During his four-year career with Centenary, he racked up 87-21 wins, spending 14 weeks in the AP Top 20 poll mainly during his senior year 1975-76 season. His averages per game were 21.6 points and 16.9 rebounds, which were recognized by Centenary but not included in NCAA record books.
During his stint at Centenary, Parish could have opted to jump to the National Basketball Association or American Basketball Association (ABA) and gain notoriety as well as potential wealth; alternatively, he could have transferred college to become eligible while attaining more publicity. Professional scouts were divided in their judgment of whether this was a display of loyalty or poor judgment. Parish himself commented on his decision: “Centenary did nothing wrong and I don’t regret it.”
Parish’s 108-game career saw him average 21.6 points and 16.9 rebounds per game, with 24.8 and 18 respectively in his senior year. This feat earned him a spot on The Sporting News’ first-team All-American list for that season. In 2018, an appeal from Centenary College led the NCAA to recognize Parish’s accomplishments by placing them into the NCAA Record Book – an honor which is testament to his remarkable achievements during his time there.
Robert Parish – Team USA 1975
Parish had a remarkable experience between his junior and senior years, when he was chosen to be part of the United States team at the 1975 Pan American Games. Despite facing issues with the NCAA, he was still able to attend tryouts in Salt Lake City, where he made an impression on everyone present and was unanimously voted as captain of Team USA. As a result, Parish led his team to victory, claiming the gold medal for their country.
Robert Parish – Golden State Warriors
Parish was originally drafted in the first round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, as well as being selected in the 1973 ABA Special Circumstances draft and 1975 ABA draft by the Utah Stars and San Antonio Spurs respectively.
After signing with The Warriors, they had recently been crowned NBA champions two seasons prior to Parish’s arrival, but their decline soon began and they failed to make the playoffs from 1978-1980. Reflecting on this period he said: “I was seriously contemplating quitting basketball before I got traded due to all our losses and people blaming me for The Warrior’s downfall. But basketball is a team sport and I felt like we were just an incompatible group with too much emphasis on individual players.”
Early on in his career, Parish mentioned Mike Mitchell, Jamaal Wilkes and Bill Laimbeer as some of the league’s “silent killers” – those who don’t always get credit for their contributions that aren’t necessarily recorded through statistics. During his four-year tenure with Golden State, Parish played 307 games averaging 13.8 points per game alongside 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
Robert Parish – Boston Celtics
Upon entering the 1980 NBA draft, Dave Cowens had retired from the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird was set to begin his second season. A pre-draft trade resulted in Red Auerbach, president of the Celtics, trading their number one overall pick as well as another first-round selection for Robert Parish and a first-round pick from the Warriors; which was third overall. By doing so, Kevin McHale was chosen by the Celtics while Joe Barry Carroll received the first pick by the Warriors.
After his retirement, Parish spoke of being surprised at first but then rejoicing when it sunk in that he had gone “from penitentiary to penthouse”. He commented on how rewarding it was to be part of a team such as the Celtics where they play with both names on the front and back of the jersey. His transition to that team allowed him to understand better than before how playing together could bring out rewards which he could not get his former teammates with Golden State to comprehend.
An imposing front court was assembled by the Celtics upon the completion of their trade, featuring Bird, Parish, Cedric Maxwell and McHale. The trio of Bird, Parish and McHale came to be known as “The Big Three ”, celebrated as one of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history and all three were named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Parish is still remembered today as the Celtics’ leader in blocked shots (1,703), offensive rebounds (3,450) and defensive rebounds (7,601). Bill Russell holds onto his place at the top for total rebounds due to offensive and defensive rebounds having not been separately tabulated before the 1973–1974 season.
Serving with Boston for 14 years from 1980 to 1994, Parish achieved a double-double average over 1106 games of 16.5 points per game along with 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks; furthermore shooting 55.2% from the floor. He helped the Boston Celtics win three NBA Championships.
Robert Parish – Charlotte Hornets
On August 4, 1994, the Charlotte Hornets signed Parish as an unrestricted free agent at the age of 41 after his departure from the Celtics. During his two-season stint with the team, he acted as a backup to Alonzo Mourning.
Robert Parish – Chicago Bulls
Following his release from Charlotte, Robert Parish was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Bulls on September 25, 1996. The Bulls had recently claimed their fourth championship title with Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman in tow.
During his final NBA season with the team in 1996-97, Parish won his fourth championship ring, taking up a role as third-string center behind Luc Longley, Bill Wennington and Brian Williams who joined late in the season. At 43 years of age at that time he became the third oldest player to ever feature in an NBA game after Nat Hickey (Providence Steamrollers) and Kevin Willis (Dallas Mavericks). On August 25, 1997 Parish announced his retirement officially.
Robert Parish – Career Stats
In 2019, Parish was first on the list of National Basketball Association career games played leaders, with a total of 1,611 appearances. His status as the oldest player to have won an NBA championship is also still maintained at this point in time. During his 1611 NBA games,he averaged 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks whilst shooting 53.7%. He achieved 15.3 points per game in 184 playoff matches along with 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, maintaining a 50.6% success rate when shooting from the field.
Defensively speaking, Parish stands sixth all-time with 10,117 defensive rebounds collected throughout his career; and fourth for the most number of offensive rebounds (571) made during the playoffs. Notably however – all six attempts he ever made at three-pointers ended up missing their mark completely.
Robert Parish – Coaching Career
In 2001, Parish was selected as the head coach of the Maryland Mustangs, an expansion team in the United States Basketball League (USBL). His coaching efforts were rewarded with a USBL Northern Division best record of 19 wins and 11 losses (.633 win percentage), for which he was named Coach of the Year. Despite their success, the team folded after one season following a quarterfinal playoff loss to the Dodge City Legend.
Subsequently, attempts by Larry Bird’s former teammate to gain a coaching or executive position in the NBA have not been successful. Kevin McHale commented that he had attempted to hire him before his departure from the Minnesota Timberwolves but could not due to lack of available positions. Although still hopeful for such a role, Parish has noted that his final three years of playing were more like a coaching role.
Robert Parish – NBA Legacy
Known for his versatility, size and speed, Hall-of-Famer Robert Parish was able to contain opposing players, launch precise shots from outside the paint and finish fast breaks – a remarkable skill for someone of his stature. Bill Walton referred to him as “the greatest shooting big man of all time” due to his ability with field goals and free throws. His signature move was a high-release jump shot that flew in an arc before descending.
In 1996 he was included in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list alongside teammates Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate Archibald, and Bill Walton; five years later Parish’s 00 jersey number was retired at halftime of a Celtics–Pacers game allowing Bird, then head coach of the Pacers, to be part of the ceremony. Most recently he has been named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team honoring him as one of their greatest players ever.
McHale praised Parish’s dependability saying that he “was there for every practice,” or game and “very seldom missed anything”. Currently working as a team consultant and mentor for Celtics’ big men, Parish commented on having accepted lesser roles on those teams in the ’80s because he didn’t have a “huge ego”.
Robert Parish – Personal Life
Nancy Saad was the ex-wife of Parish, with whom he had one child. Throughout his career, it is claimed that Parish used martial arts, yoga and a vegetarian diet to condition himself. In an interview from 2022, he revealed that while not strictly vegetarian, he steered clear of red meat, consuming chicken and fish instead.
Robert Parish – Net Worth
Robert Parish is an NBA legend and his net worth is estimated to be around $12 million. He earned the majority of his wealth from playing basketball in the NBA for 21 years, as well as by signing endorsement deals and appearing in commercials. He is one of the most successful players in NBA history, having won four championships and being named to nine All-Star teams.
Did Robert Parish make the Hall of Fame?
In 1998, Parish was honored with his jersey being raised to the rafters of Boston’s arena, an unforgettable moment that marked his legendary career in basketball. Three years later, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of his remarkable achievements.
When did Robert Parish retire from the NBA?
After a storied 24-year NBA career, Robert Parish retired in August 1997 at the ripe age of 43. During his final season with the team, Parish earned his fourth championship ring and acted as third-string center behind Luc Longley, Bill Wennington and Brian Williams who joined late in the season. At the time of his retirement, he became only the third oldest player to ever feature in an NBA game after Nat Hickey (Providence Steamrollers) and Kevin Willis (Dallas Mavericks). On August 25, 1997, Parish officially announced his retirement bringing to a close one of the most illustrious careers in league history.
What was Robert Parish known for?
Nicknamed ‘Chief’, Robert Parish was a mainstay in the Boston Celtics lineup for 21 seasons, leading them to three NBA titles. Throughout his illustrious career, he averaged 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in an incredible 1,611 games – more than any other player in league history.
