Robert Parish
 Parish in 2005 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1953-08-30) August 30, 1953 Shreveport, Louisiana | |||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| High school | Woodlawn (Shreveport, Louisiana) | |||||||||||||
| College | Centenary (1972–1976) | |||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1976 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1976–1997 | |||||||||||||
| Position | Center | |||||||||||||
| Number | 00 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
1976–1980 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||
1980–1994 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||
1994–1996 | Charlotte Hornets | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 23,334 (14.5 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 14,715 (9.1 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 2,361 (1.6 bpg) | |||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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Robert Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American retired basketball center. He was known for his strong defense, his high arcing jump shooting, and his clutch rebounding late in games. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His nickname was The Chief, after the fictitious Chief Bromden, a silent, giant Native American character in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave him this nickname because of his stoic nature. He played an NBA-record 1,611 regular season games in his career.
Contents
1 College career
2 NBA career
2.1 Golden State Warriors
2.2 Boston Celtics
2.3 Charlotte Hornets
2.4 Chicago Bulls
3 Legacy
4 NBA career statistics
4.1 Regular season
4.2 Playoffs
4.3 Career highs
4.3.1 Top shot-blocking efforts
4.3.2 Regular season
4.3.3 Playoffs
5 Personal life
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
College career
Although Parish had a successful college career at Centenary College of Louisiana from 1972–1976, he received virtually no notice because of one of the most severe penalties ever levied by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.[1]
In 1965, the NCAA adopted the so-called "1.6 rule" to determine academic eligibility of incoming freshmen.[2][3] Under its provisions, freshmen academically qualified if their high school grades and standardized test scores predicted a minimum college grade point average of 1.6 on a 4-point scale.[2]
Parish, who led Woodlawn High School in Shreveport to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class AAAA state championship in 1972, took a standardized test that did not fit the NCAA's formula; Centenary converted his score to an equivalent that fit the formula, which it had done for 12 other athletes in the previous two years. This was a violation of NCAA regulations; however, the NCAA had not paid any attention to the school's actions before Parish's recruitment. Shortly before Parish was to enroll, the NCAA notified Centenary that he and four other basketball players whose test scores had been converted were ineligible to play there, but said that the school would not be subject to penalty if it rescinded the five scholarships. Centenary argued that the rule did not say that the school could not convert the scores of Parish and the other players, while the NCAA argued that Centenary could not use the test taken by Parish and the other players to establish eligibility. When Centenary refused to pull the scholarships, the NCAA issued one of the most draconian sanctions in its history. The school's basketball program was put on probation for six years, during which time it was not only barred from postseason play, but its results and statistics were excluded from weekly statistics and its existence was not acknowledged in the NCAA's annual press guides.[1]
Within days of its decision, the NCAA repealed the 1.6 rule—but refused to make the five players eligible. A few months later, all five, including Parish, sued the NCAA for their eligibility at Centenary, but lost.[1] The decision made Parish a sort of "invisible man" who racked up huge statistical totals in virtual obscurity. In his four years at Centenary, the Gents went 87-21 and spent 14 weeks in the AP Top 20 poll,[4] mostly during his senior season in 1975–76.[5] He averaged 21.6 points and 16.9 rebounds per game during his Centenary career.[5] However, although the school recognizes his records, the NCAA to this day does not include Parish in its record books.[6][7]
Between his junior and senior years, Parish played for the US national team at the 1975 Pan American Games. His difficulties with the NCAA indirectly led to his not being recommended for a spot on the team. Centenary paid his way to Salt Lake City to try out; he made the team, was unanimously elected captain, and led the team to a gold medal.[1]
Throughout his time at Centenary, Parish chose not to escape anonymity by either jumping to the National Basketball Association or American Basketball Association (the latter of which existed until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976), or by transferring to another college, even though the professional ranks offered him potential riches and a transfer would have given him eligibility and far more publicity. At the time, professional scouts did not question his physical skills, but were divided as to whether his decision to stay at Centenary was a show of loyalty or evidence of poor decision-making.[1] For his part, Parish said, "I didn't transfer because Centenary did nothing wrong. And I have no regrets. None."[8]
NBA career
Golden State Warriors
After college, Parish was drafted in the first round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He had also been drafted by the Utah Stars in the 1973 ABA Special Circumstances draft and by the Spurs in the 1975 ABA draft. Parish signed with the Warriors. The Warriors were NBA champions in 1975 (two seasons prior to Parish's rookie campaign). However, when Parish joined the Warriors, their decline had begun, and they missed the playoffs completely from 1978 to 1980.
Boston Celtics
Robert Parish during his tenure with the Celtics.
Heading into the 1980 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics (who already had small forward Larry Bird ready to start his second NBA season) held the number one overall pick. In a pre-draft trade, Celtics President Red Auerbach dealt the top pick and an additional first-round pick to the Warriors for Parish and the Warriors' first-round pick, the third overall. With that pick, the Celtics chose Kevin McHale. The Warriors then selected Joe Barry Carroll with the first pick, whose career eventually was shortened by injuries, and whose perceived laziness earned him the moniker "Joe Barely Cares."
Early in his career, Parish listed Mike Mitchell, Jamaal Wilkes and Bill Laimbeer as some of the NBA's "silent killers" - that is, players whose contributions often cannot be measured by statistics.[9]
Parish with Boston mayor Raymond Flynn
The Celtics now had an imposing frontcourt consisting of Bird, Parish, Cedric Maxwell, and McHale. Parish 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 Bird and power forward McHale. Parish, Bird and McHale came to be known as "The Big Three," and are regarded as one of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history; all three players were named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Charlotte Hornets
After leaving the Celtics, Parish played two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.
Chicago Bulls
Parish 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, behind Nat Hickey of the Providence Steamrollers[10] and Kevin Willis of the Dallas Mavericks. As of 2018, Parish was first on the list of National Basketball Association career games played leaders with 1,611 career games played. As of 2017, he also remains the oldest player to win an NBA championship.
Legacy
He was known as a versatile center, using his 7' 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 to 1987 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 1996, Parish, along with teammates Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, were each selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 1998, in honor of his achievements, the Celtics retired Parish's famous #00 jersey number 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.
Parish remains active as the Celtics' team consultant and mentor for current Celtics big men.
NBA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
 | Denotes seasons in which Parish won an NBA championship |
 | NBA record |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976–77 | Golden State | 77 | 1 | 18.0 | .503 | - | .708 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 9.1 |
1977–78 | Golden State | 82 | 37 | 24.0 | .472 | - | .625 | 8.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 12.5 |
1978–79 | Golden State | 76 | 75 | 31.7 | .499 | - | .698 | 12.1 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 17.2 |
1979–80 | Golden State | 72 | 69 | 29.4 | .507 | .000 | .715 | 10.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 17.0 |
1980–81† | Boston | 82 | 82 | 28.0 | .545 | .000 | .710 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 18.9 |
1981–82 | Boston | 80 | 78 | 31.7 | .542 | .000 | .710 | 10.8 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 19.9 |
1982–83 | Boston | 78 | 76 | 31.5 | .550 | .000 | .698 | 10.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 19.3 |
1983–84† | Boston | 80 | 79 | 35.8 | .546 | .000 | .745 | 10.7 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 19.0 |
1984–85 | Boston | 79 | 78 | 36.1 | .542 | .000 | .743 | 10.6 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 17.6 |
1985–86† | Boston | 81 | 80 | 31.7 | .549 | .000 | .731 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 16.1 |
1986–87 | Boston | 80 | 80 | 37.4 | .556 | .000 | .735 | 10.6 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 17.5 |
1987–88 | Boston | 74 | 73 | 31.2 | .589 | .000 | .734 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 14.3 |
1988–89 | Boston | 80 | 80 | 35.5 | .570 | .000 | .719 | 12.5 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 18.6 |
1989–90 | Boston | 79 | 78 | 30.3 | .580 | .000 | .747 | 10.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 15.7 |
1990–91 | Boston | 81 | 81 | 30.1 | .598 | .000 | .767 | 10.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 14.9 |
1991–92 | Boston | 79 | 79 | 28.9 | .535 | .000 | .772 | 8.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 14.1 |
1992–93 | Boston | 79 | 79 | 27.2 | .535 | .000 | .689 | 9.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 12.6 |
1993–94 | Boston | 74 | 74 | 26.9 | .491 | .000 | .740 | 7.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 11.7 |
1994–95 | Charlotte | 81 | 4 | 16.7 | .427 | .000 | .703 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 4.8 |
1995–96 | Charlotte | 74 | 34 | 14.7 | .498 | .000 | .704 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 3.9 |
1996–97† | Chicago | 43 | 3 | 9.4 | .490 | .000 | .677 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.7 |
| Career | 1,611 | 1,320 | 28.4 | .537 | .000 | .721 | 9.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 14.5 | |
| All-Star | 9 | 1 | 15.8 | .529 | – | .667 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 9.6 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Golden State | 10 | 0 | 23.9 | .481 | - | .654 | 10.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 12.1 |
1981† | Boston | 17 | 17 | 28.9 | .493 | .000 | .672 | 8.6 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 15.0 |
1982 | Boston | 12 | 12 | 35.5 | .488 | .000 | .680 | 11.3 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 21.3 |
1983 | Boston | 7 | 7 | 35.6 | .483 | .000 | .850 | 10.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 14.7 |
1984† | Boston | 23 | 23 | 37.8 | .478 | .000 | .646 | 10.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 14.9 |
1985 | Boston | 21 | 21 | 38.2 | .493 | .000 | .784 | 10.4 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 17.1 |
1986† | Boston | 18 | 18 | 32.8 | .471 | .000 | .652 | 8.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 15.0 |
1987 | Boston | 21 | 21 | 35.0 | .567 | .000 | .767 | 9.4 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 18.0 |
1988 | Boston | 17 | 17 | 36.8 | .532 | .000 | .820 | 9.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 14.7 |
1989 | Boston | 3 | 3 | 37.3 | .455 | .000 | .778 | 8.7 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 15.7 |
1990 | Boston | 5 | 5 | 34.0 | .574 | .000 | .944 | 10.0 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 15.8 |
1991 | Boston | 10 | 10 | 29.6 | .598 | .000 | .689 | 9.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 15.8 |
1992 | Boston | 10 | 10 | 33.5 | .495 | .000 | .714 | 9.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 12.0 |
1993 | Boston | 4 | 4 | 36.5 | .544 | .000 | .857 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 17.0 |
1995 | Charlotte | 4 | 0 | 17.8 | .545 | .000 | .400 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 3.5 |
1997† | Chicago | 2 | 0 | 9.0 | .143 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Career | 184 | 168 | 33.6 | .506 | .000 | .722 | 9.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 15.3 | |
Career highs
Top shot-blocking efforts
| Blocks | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
11 | at Cleveland Cavaliers | October 29, 1978 |
| 9 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | March 17, 1982 |
| 8 | at New Orleans Jazz | February 22, 1978 |
| 8 | vs. Detroit Pistons | April 3, 1979 |
| 8 | at Indiana Pacers | February 15, 1980 |
Regular season
| Stat | High | Opponent | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 40 | at San Antonio Spurs | February 17, 1981 | |
| Field goals made | 16 | 5 times | ||
| Field goal attempts | 26 | vs Phoenix Suns | January 24, 1992 | |
| Free throws made, none missed | 12 | at New Jersey Nets | March 31, 1984 | |
| Free throws made, one missed | 13 | vs Atlanta Hawks | March 23, 1983 | |
| Free throws made | 13 | vs Atlanta Hawks | March 23, 1983 | |
| Free throw attempts | 18 | at Milwaukee Bucks | April 2, 1985 | |
| Rebounds | 32 | vs. New York Knicks | March 30, 1979 | |
| Offensive rebounds | ||||
| Defensive rebounds | 25 | vs. New York Knicks | March 30, 1979 | |
| Assists | 10 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | March 29, 1987 | |
| Steals | ||||
| Turnovers | ||||
| Minutes played |
Playoffs
| Stat | High | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 33 | vs. Washington Bullets | May 5, 1982 |
| Field goals made, none missed | 8-8 | at Atlanta Hawks | May 16, 1988 |
| Field goals made | 13 | vs. Washington Bullets | May 5, 1982 |
| Field goal attempts | 25 | vs. Washington Bullets | May 5, 1982 |
| Free throws made, none missed | 8 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | May 1, 1983 |
| Free throws made, one missed | 7 | vs. Washington Bullets | May 5, 1982 |
| Free throws made | 11 | vs. Chicago Bulls | April 17, 1986 |
| Free throw attempts | 13 | vs. Chicago Bulls | April 17, 1986 |
| Rebounds | 19 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | May 17, 1987 |
| Offensive rebounds | 11 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | May 17, 1987 |
| Defensive rebounds | 14 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | May 10, 1992 |
| Assists | 6 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | April 29, 1983 |
| Steals | 5 (OT) | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | May 31, 1984 |
| Blocks | 7 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | May 9, 1982 |
| Turnovers | |||
| Minutes played | 54 | vs. Detroit Pistons | May 26, 1988 |
Personal life
During his career, he incorporated martial arts,[11] yoga and vegetarianism, that many believed helped him throughout his training.[12]
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game
References
^ abcde Moses, Sam (1975-12-08). "Invisible In The Post". Sports Illustrated. p. 1. Retrieved 2015-03-23..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ ab "Prop 48: 25 Years Later". NCAA Champion Magazine. Summer 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
^ At that time, freshmen were not eligible to play varsity athletics. The NCAA allowed freshmen to play varsity sports other than football and basketball in 1968, and extended freshman varsity eligibility to those sports in 1972.
^ At that time, the Associated Press ranked only 20 teams instead of today's 25.
^ ab "Robert Parish". 2009–10 Centenary Gents Basketball Media Guide. Centenary Sports Information. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
^ "Division I All-Time Individual Leaders: Rebound Average (Since 1973)" (PDF). Official 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book. p. 19. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
^ "Division I All-Time Individual Leaders: Career Records, Rebound Average (For careers beginning in 1973 or after)" (PDF). Official 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book. p. 25. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
The NCAA lists seasons by the calendar years in which they end.
^ Moses, Sam (1975-12-08). "Invisible In The Post". Sports Illustrated. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
^ USA Today. December 28, 1982
^ John Stockton: Still Going Strong at 41, published March 26, 2003
^ May, Peter (2003-09-10). "Longevity was Parish trademark". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
^ Whitfield, Stephanie (2015-04-14). "Top 15 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Vegetarian". TheSportster.com. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Parish. |
 | Wikiquote has quotations related to: Robert Parish |
Robert Parish NBA Legends Bio
Robert Parish at the Wayback Machine (archived February 11, 2001) NBA biography (archived from 1997)- Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference.com
Robert Parish at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Where Are They Now?: Robert Parish @ NBA.com
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