Celtics retire 00 of C Robert Parish
Posted: Sun January 18, 1998 at 3:20 p.m. EST
Center Robert Parish, the all-time leader in games played and part of one
of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history, had his trademark 00 uniform
number retired today by the Boston Celtics at
halftime of their 103-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Parish, who teamed with forwards Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to help
the Celtics win three championships in the 1980s, became the 21st team
member to have his number or name retired and the first in the new
FleetCenter, which opened for the 1995-96 season.
"I want to thank my junior high school teacher who I think of today,
because without his inspiration, I wouldn't have pursued the NBA," said the
stoic Parish, who played 14 of his record 21 seasons with the Celtics. "I
also want to thank my mother and father for making me who I am.
"I want to thank the fans for all of your support through the years.
I also want to thank my martial arts instructor who taught me patience and
poise, something I used every day in my career. And all of the teammates I
had to make this day possible. They certainly made my job a lot easier."
Nicknamed "The Chief," Parish played 1,106 games with Boston, teaming
with Bird and McHale to win NBA titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986. All three
were voted among the 50 Greatest Players in 1996.
Parish was joined on the court by former teammates Bird, McHale and
Cedric Maxwell, Celtics vice chairman of the board Red Auerbach and NBA
deputy commissioner Russ Granik. Parish was placed on the same banner as
McHale, Bird, Dennis Johnson and the late Reggie Lewis.
"I am truly honored that the Boston Celtics organization will be
retiring my number," Parish said. "To join all other great players who
have had their number retired is something very special to me and my
family."
It was another emotional day for the Celtics, who have the most
history and success of NBA team.
Bird, who had his number 33 lofted in the Boston Garden in 1993, is in
his first year as coach of the Pacers and won in his first visit to Boston.
McHale, whose number 32 was retired in 1994, is the general manager of the
Minnesota
Timberwolves.
The festivities were hosted by television announcer and former Celtic
great Tom Heinsohn, whose number 15 also hangs in the rafters.
"As a teammate he was the most unselfish player I ever played with,"
Bird said of Parish. "He worked real hard in practice. Never missed a
practice. Worked hard every day. Always great to run a pick-and-roll with."
Parish, who played last season with the NBA champion Chicago Bulls, averaged
14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in his career. The nine-time
All-Star shot 53.7 percent from the field and 72.1 percent from the line.
The seven-footer also played for the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets
before joining the Bulls last year. His 23,334 points are 13th on the
all-time list, while his 14,715 rebounds and 2,361 blocks rank him sixth
all-time. His 10,117 defensive boards are an NBA record.
The 44-year-old Parish started his career with the Warriors in 1976-77
-- the year of the NBA-ABA merger -- and became a Celtic in 1980. He was
signed as a free agent by the Hornets in 1994. He played 43 games for the
Bulls last season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds, and participated
in just two playoff games as Chicago rolled to its fifth title in seven
years.
Never the biggest star on the Celtics, Parish instead was a model of
consistency. In a seven-year stretch starting in 1980 in which Boston made
the NBA Finals five times, Parish averaged between 16.1 and 19.9 points and
9.5 and 10.7 rebounds and was named to the All-Star team in each season.
"Robert Parish had a fantastic NBA career," said Auerbach, who also
has the number 2 retired in his honor. "He never worried about his stats,
he always kept himself in good shape and took care of business on both ends
of the court. His contributions to the game of basketball are unique,
special and worthy of the highest recognition. He was the consummate
professional. He came to win, not to play."
During his prime, Parish had a consistent rainbow jumper and ran the
floor as well as any big man in the league. But he was best recognized by
his loping walk, with his long arms dangling at his sides, prompting
Maxwell to dub him "The Chief," after the character Chief Bromden in the
movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Perhaps Parish's best all-around season came in 1988-89, when he
averaged 18.6 points and a career-best 12.5 rebounds per game. As a member
of the Hornets, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time games
leader on April 6th, 1996 at Cleveland, playing in his 1,561st contest.
Parish also played 184 playoff games, averaging 15.3 points and 9.6
rebounds. He holds the all-time playoff record with 571 defensive boards.
The Shreveport, Louisiana native attended Woodlawn High School, the
same school as former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer
Terry Bradshaw. He played collegiately at Centenary, and was selected
eighth overall by the Warriors in the 1976 draft.
"Isn't it wonderful to see Robert Parish smile here?" added Auerbach.
"He was so intense before and after a game that you could see the wheels
spinning. He never cracked a smile. You know he's one of the few
ballplayers in all my experience that was so well liked by his teammates,
but liked and respected by his opponents."
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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