Robert Parish

Last updated

Robert Parish
Robert Parish.jpg
Parish in 2005
Personal information
Born (1953-08-30) August 30, 1953 (age 71)
Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Listed height7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight244 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school Woodlawn (Shreveport, Louisiana)
College Centenary (1972–1976)
NBA draft 1976: 1st round, 8th overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career1976–1997
Position Center
Number00
Career history
As player:
1976–1980 Golden State Warriors
1980–1994 Boston Celtics
1994–1996 Charlotte Hornets
1996–1997 Chicago Bulls
As coach:
2001Maryland Mustangs
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

  • USBL Coach of the Year (2001)
Career statistics
Points 23,334 (14.5 ppg)
Rebounds 14,715 (9.1 rpg)
Blocks 2,361 (1.5 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Medals
Representing Flag of the United States.svg United States
Men's basketball
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1975 Mexico City Team competition

Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player. A 7'1" center, nicknamed "the Chief", Parish played for four teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1976 to 1997. During his 14-year tenure with the Boston Celtics, Parish teamed with Hall-of-Fame forwards Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to form one of the greatest front lines in NBA history.

Contents

During his college career at Centenary College, Parish racked up impressive enough numbers to be drafted three times—twice by teams from the ABA, and once in 1976 by the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. Parish played four seasons for the Warriors. In 1980, he was traded to the Boston Celtics along with a draft pick that the Celtics would use to select forward Kevin McHale. Parish and McHale joined star forward Larry Bird on the Celtics. Known as the Big Three, the trio won three NBA championships together. Parish left the Celtics as a free agent following the 1993–1994 season. He went on to play two more seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and one with the Chicago Bulls, winning an NBA championship with the Bulls in 1997 before retiring from the NBA at age 43.

Parish played an NBA-record 1,611 games in his career. He played in 21 NBA seasons, a 4-way tie for second-most in league history. Aside from his career longevity, Parish is known for his strong defense, rebounding, and high-trajectory jump shot. He is a nine-time NBA All-Star and a four-time NBA champion, and he was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. The Celtics retired his jersey in 1998. Parish was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Early life

Robert is the son of Robert Sr. and Ada Parish. He is the oldest of their four children. [1]

Parish was already 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall in the seventh grade (age 12–13) when junior high coach Coleman Kidd first noticed him and encouraged him to play basketball, which was new to him. Coleman would come to the Parish family home if Robert missed a practice and gave Parish a basketball to practice with. It was at this time that Parish started wearing his uniform No. 00; on the day they passed out the uniforms in junior high school, it was the only jersey left. [1] [2]

"I really didn't like basketball growing up." Parish said, talking about how he focused instead on football, baseball, and track. "[Coach] Coleman would come to my house and take me to practice every day until I had to start showing up myself; I give all the credit to him." [2]

Parish attended Woodlawn High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he played for Coach Ken Ivy. He had previously attended Union High School until it was closed due to desegregation. Named All-American, All-State, All-District, and All-City in 1972, Parish led Woodlawn High School to the 1972 Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class AAAA state championship. [1] [2]

College career

Parish as a junior at Centenary. Parish Centenary.jpg
Parish as a junior at Centenary.

Parish attended Centenary College of Louisiana. "The reason why I chose Centenary is because of their coaches," Parish said. "I was very impressed with the coaches." [2] However, he received virtually no notice because of one of the most severe penalties ever levied by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. [3]

Beginning in 1965, the NCAA used a formula to determine the academic eligibility of incoming freshmen seeking to play varsity sports. [4] (At that time, freshmen were generally ineligible 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.)[ citation needed ] Parish took a standardized test that did not fit the NCAA's eligibility 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 action violated NCAA regulations; however, the NCAA had not paid any attention to the school's actions prior to Parish's recruitment. [3]

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 varsity basketball. The NCAA added that the school would not be penalized if it rescinded the five scholarships. [3] When Centenary refused to pull the scholarships, the NCAA placed Centenary's basketball program on probation for six years. During the six-year probation period, the college was barred from postseason play; its results and statistics were excluded from weekly statistics, and its existence was not acknowledged in the NCAA's annual press guides. [3]

Within days of its decision, the NCAA repealed the 1.6 rule, but refused to make the five Centenary players eligible. All five, including Parish, sued the NCAA to challenge its eligibility decision, but lost. [3] 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, mostly during his senior season in 1975–76. [5] While he averaged 21.6 points and 16.9 rebounds per game during his Centenary career [5] and Centenary recognized his records, the NCAA would not include Parish's statistics in its record books. [6] [7]

Team USA 1975

Between his junior and senior years at Centenary, Parish played for Team USA 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 enable him to try out for Team USA. Parish made the team, was unanimously elected captain, and led the team to a gold medal. [3]

College legacy

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. [3] For his part, Parish said, "I didn't transfer because Centenary did nothing wrong. And I have no regrets. None." [8]

Overall, Parish averaged 21.6 points and 16.9 rebounds in his 108-game career at Centenary and 24.8 points and 18 rebounds as a senior. The Sporting News named him a first-team All-American as a senior. [9]

In 2018, following a formal appeal from Centenary College, the NCAA announced that Parish's records would be recognized and placed into the NCAA Record Book. [10] [11]

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (1976–1980)

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.[ citation needed ]

"I was seriously thinking about having a very short basketball career before the trade because of all the losing that I experienced with the Warriors, and being blamed for the Warriors demise." Parish said of his time with Golden State. "I understand that because I was the No. 1 player taken (by the team in the 1976 draft) and the blame falls on my shoulders. But basketball is not an individual sport. It's a team sport. And I just feel like the team was an assembly of misfits and too much independent thinking. Guys were thinking about themselves as opposed to the team." [12]

In 307 games over four seasons, Parish averaged 13.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks with the Warriors. [13]

Boston Celtics (1980–1994)

Parish during his tenure with the Celtics Robert Parish Celtics.jpg
Parish during his tenure with the Celtics

Heading into the 1980 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics lost Dave Cowens to retirement and had Larry Bird ready to start his second NBA season. The Celtics held the number one overall pick in the draft.

On June 9, 1980, in a pre-draft trade, Celtics president Red Auerbach dealt the top overall 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. [13]

Reflecting on the trade after his retirement, Parish said, "I was surprised initially. But once I hung up from the Warriors after they called me and told me I was being traded to the Boston Celtics, I cheered and I jumped up and down ... because I went from the (penitentiary) to the penthouse, in my opinion... Being traded to the Celtics changed the trajectory of my career." [12]

Parish in the mid-1980s with Boston mayor Raymond Flynn Mayor Raymond L. Flynn and Robert Parish (9516906179).jpg
Parish in the mid-1980s with Boston mayor Raymond Flynn

Playing 14 years with the Celtics from 1980 to 1994, [14] Parish won three NBA titles (1981, 1984 and 1986) while teamed with Bird and McHale. The trio came to be known as "The Big Three", [15] [16] [17] and are regarded as one of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history. [18] [19] [20] Parish, Bird, and McHale were all named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. [21]

Parish was nicknamed "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. [22] [23]

Parish was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1981–82 and to the All-NBA Third Team in 1988–89. [13]

Parish is the Celtics' all-time leader in blocked shots (1,703), offensive rebounds (3,450), and defensive rebounds (7,601). [24] In 14 seasons and 1106 games with the Celtics, Parish averaged a double-double of 16.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, shooting 55.2% from the floor. [13]

Charlotte Hornets (1994–1996)

On August 4, 1994, at age 41, Parish left the Celtics and signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Charlotte Hornets. [13] Parish spent two seasons with the Hornets, playing as a backup to Alonzo Mourning. [25] [26] [27]

Chicago Bulls (1996–1997)

On September 25, 1996, Parish signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls after his release from Charlotte. With Chicago, Parish joined a team coming off a fourth championship with fellow Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. [13]

Playing his final NBA season with the Chicago Bulls in 1996–97, he won his fourth NBA title. Parish played a reserve role for the Bulls. [28] He remained in the NBA until the age of 43. [29] On August 25, 1997, Parish retired from the NBA. [13]

Career statistics and records

As of 2023, Parish is first on the list of National Basketball Association career games played leaders with 1,611 games played [30] and is tied for second-most seasons played in NBA history with 21. [31] As of 2022, he is the oldest player to win an NBA championship, having been a member of the NBA champion Chicago Bulls in 1997 at the age of 43. [32] As of October 2023, he is the third-oldest player to ever play an NBA game (the two oldest players to have played in the NBA are Nat Hickey and Kevin Willis). [29]

Overall, in 1,611 NBA games, Parish averaged 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, shooting 53.7% from the field. [13] In 184 career playoff games, Parish averaged 15.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, shooting 50.6% from the field. [13]

As of 2023, Parish ranks fifth in NBA history in career defensive rebounds with 10,117 [33] and fourth in playoff career offensive rebounds with 571. [34]

Legacy

Parish is known for his defense, [35] [36] his rebounding, [36] and his ability to run the fast break. [23] Fellow Hall-of-Famer and teammate Bill Walton once called Parish "probably the best medium-range shooting big man in the history of the game". His trademark was his jump shot, which traversed a very high arc before falling. [25]

"There was no showmanship to Robert's game," said Walton. "There was the rebounding. There was the defense. There was the scoring. There was the setting of screens. There was the way he ran the floor. How many centers in today's NBA do any of that"? [9]

Parish was inducted into the Centenary College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988, [24] the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, [37] and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. [38]

In 1996, Parish, along with teammates Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate Archibald, and Bill Walton, was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. [21] On January 18, 1998, the Celtics retired Parish's famous #00 jersey at halftime of a Celtics–Indiana Pacers game; Bird (who was then head coach of the Pacers) and McHale were present for the ceremony. [39] He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. [13] In October 2021, Parish was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the  NBA 75th Anniversary Team. [40] To commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary, The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time and chose Parish as the 74th greatest player in NBA history. [36]

"He was there for every practice," McHale said of Parish. "For every game. He very seldom missed anything, including assignments on the floor. His longevity is unbelievable, but his dependability was just as impressive". [9]

Coaching career

In 2001, Parish served as the head coach of the Maryland Mustangs, an expansion team in the United States Basketball League (USBL). [41] [42] Parish coached the team to a USBL Northern Division-best 19 wins and 11 losses (.633 win percentage). The team lost a quarterfinal playoff game against the Dodge City Legend, 109–106. [43] Parish was named the USBL Coach of the Year, but the Mustangs folded after one season. [42]

Unlike his Celtics teammates Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, and Kevin McHale, Parish has not attained a coaching, executive, or commentary position in the NBA. McHale, who served as the general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, said he tried to hire Parish shortly before his departure from the team but was unable to do so because of a lack of available positions. In 2013, Parish said that he considered himself a potential NBA coach; he added that his role during the final three years of his playing career was essentially a coaching role. [42]

As of 2016, Parish was a Celtics consultant, acting as a mentor for the team's big men. [44]

Personal life

Parish was divorced from his wife, Nancy Saad, in 1990. [45] In 1990, Saad sued Parish, accusing him of having physically abused her throughout their marriage. [46] Saad stated that she was hospitalized following a 1987 beating from Parish. [47] Parish denied Saad's accusations; [46] in 2013, however, he admitted to having pushed Saad on June 2, 1987. [42]

Authorities found marijuana in Parish's home in February 1993. [48] Later that month, Parish pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug possession charge and was given six months' probation. [49]

During his career, Parish is alleged to have incorporated martial arts, [50] yoga, and vegetarianism into his training and conditioning. [51] In a 2022 interview, Parish stated he was never a vegetarian; he eats chicken and fish, but avoids red meat. [52]

The Celtics retired Parish's No. 00 in 1998. Celtics00.png
The Celtics retired Parish's No. 00 in 1998.

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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
 † Won an NBA championship  ‡ NBA record

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1976–77 Golden State 77118.0.503—.7087.11.00.71.29.1
1977–78 Golden State 823724.0.472—.6258.31.21.01.512.5
1978–79 Golden State 767531.7.499—.69812.11.51.32.917.2
1979–80 Golden State 726929.4.507.000.71510.91.70.81.617.0
1980–81† Boston 827828.0.545.000.7109.51.81.02.618.9
1981–82 Boston 807831.7.542—.71010.81.80.82.419.9
1982–83 Boston 787631.5.550.000.69810.61.81.01.919.3
1983–84† Boston 807935.8.546—.74510.71.70.71.519.0
1984–85 Boston 797836.1.542—.74310.61.60.71.317.6
1985–86† Boston 818031.7.549—.7319.51.80.81.416.1
1986–87 Boston 808037.4.556.000.73510.62.20.81.817.5
1987–88 Boston 747331.2.589.000.7348.51.60.71.114.3
1988–89 Boston 808035.5.570—.71912.52.21.01.518.6
1989–90 Boston 797830.3.580—.74710.11.30.50.915.7
1990–91 Boston 818130.1.598.000.76710.60.80.81.314.9
1991–92 Boston 797928.9.535—.7728.90.90.91.214.1
1992–93 Boston 797927.2.535—.6899.40.80.71.412.6
1993–94 Boston 747426.9.491—.7407.31.10.61.311.7
1994–95 Charlotte 81416.7.427—.7034.30.50.30.44.8
1995–96 Charlotte 743414.7.498—.7044.10.40.30.73.9
1996–97† Chicago 4339.4.490—.6772.10.50.10.43.7
Career1,611‡1,32028.4.537.000.7219.11.40.81.514.5
All-Star9115.8.529—.6675.90.90.40.99.6

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1977 Golden State 10023.9.481—.65410.31.10.71.112.1
1981† Boston 171728.9.493.000.6728.61.11.22.315.0
1982 Boston 121235.5.488.000.68011.31.50.44.021.3
1983 Boston 7735.6.483.000.85010.61.30.71.314.7
1984† Boston 232337.8.478.000.64610.81.21.01.814.9
1985 Boston 212138.2.493.000.78410.41.51.01.617.1
1986† Boston 181832.8.471.000.6528.81.40.51.715.0
1987 Boston 212135.0.567.000.7679.41.30.91.718.0
1988 Boston 171736.8.532.000.8209.91.20.61.114.7
1989 Boston 3337.3.455.000.7788.72.01.30.715.7
1990 Boston 5534.0.574.000.94410.02.61.01.415.8
1991 Boston 101029.6.598.000.6899.20.60.80.715.8
1992 Boston 101033.5.495.000.7149.71.40.71.512.0
1993 Boston 4436.5.544.000.8579.51.30.21.517.0
1995 Charlotte 4017.8.545.000.4002.30.30.00.83.5
1997† Chicago 209.0.143.000.0002.00.00.01.51.0
Career18416833.6.506.000.7229.61.30.81.715.3

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Walton, Bill (September 7, 2003). "Walton: A Hall of an intro for The Chief". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Parish, Robert 1953– - Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Moses, Sam (December 8, 1975). "Invisible In The Post". Sports Illustrated . p. 1. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  4. ↑ Pickle, David (Summer 2008). "Prop 48: 25 Years Later". NCAA Champion Magazine. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
  5. 1 2 "Robert Parish". 2009–10 Centenary Gents Basketball Media Guide. Centenary Sports Information. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Division I All-Time Individual Leaders: Rebound Average (Since 1973)" (PDF). Official 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book. p. 19. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
  7. ↑ "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. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
    The NCAA lists seasons by the calendar years in which they end.
  8. ↑ Moses, Sam (December 8, 1975). "Invisible In The Post". Sports Illustrated. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 May, Peter (September 4, 2003). "May: Chief was no big stiff". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  10. ↑ Owens, Tim (February 20, 2018). "Robert Parish's college records will be recognized by NCAA". KTALNews.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ "NCAA to recognize Robert Parish's Centenary statistics". shreveporttimes.com. February 19, 2018. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  12. 1 2 King, Jay (March 26, 2016). "Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish remembers argument with Michael Jordan, Danny Ainge's great prank on Johnny Most and more". masslive.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Robert Parish Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  14. ↑ Quinn, Justin (January 14, 2023). "On this day: Parish scores 22,000th point; Sailors, Bloom born; Wedman trade". celticswire.usatoday.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  15. ↑ Anderson, Kevin (January 11, 2011). "Bird, Parish and McHale: Won't The Real Big Three Please Stand Up?". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  16. ↑ Postrado, Jay (September 4, 2023). "10 Greatest Celtics Teams In Franchise History, Ranked". ClutchPoints. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  17. ↑ Smith, Deyscha (April 22, 2020). "Robert Parish chose a winner between the 1986 Celtics and 1997 Chicago Bulls". www.boston.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  18. ↑ "This Date in NBA History (June 9): Red Auerbach orchestrates trade to set up 'greatest frontcourt ever' for the 1980s Celtics & more". www.sportingnews.com. August 15, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ Acedera, Shane Garry (July 7, 2023). "Ralph Sampson reveals Red Auerbach tried to convince him to turn pro in 1980: "There might not have been a Kevin McHale or Robert Parish"". basketballnetwork.net. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  20. ↑ Smith, Marcel. "Greatest NBA Trios of All Time". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  21. 1 2 "NBA at 50: Top 50 Players". NBA.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  22. ↑ Gelso, Nick (August 21, 2009). "Robert Parish: The Glue of the 1980s Celtics Championship Teams". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Trivic, Filip (October 31, 2021). "How Robert Parish got his nickname "The Chief"". basketballnetwork.net. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Robert Parish". IMDb. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  25. 1 2 "Legends profile: Robert Parish". NBA.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Parish Joins Hornets as Mourning's Backup". Los Angeles Times. August 5, 1994. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Hornets look to deal Mourning". Tampa Bay Times. November 1, 1995. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  28. ↑ Murphy, Mark (May 27, 2020). "Robert Parish thinks back on his Bullish last season". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  29. 1 2 Reardon, Logan (October 17, 2023). "Who is the oldest NBA player for the 2023-24 season and in history? Here's a full list". NBCLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  30. ↑ "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Games". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  31. ↑ "NBA Individual Regular Season Records for Seasons". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  32. ↑ Macasero, Michael (October 18, 2022). "Top 5 oldest NBA players to have taken to NBA court in history featuring Robert Parish, Vince Carter, and more". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  33. ↑ "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Defensive Rebounds". Basketball Reference . Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  34. ↑ "NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Offensive Rebounds". Basketball Reference . Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  35. ↑ Kozlowski, Joe (August 21, 2021). "Robert Parish Once Eviscerated the Idea of NBA Teams Playing Zone Defense: 'I Think They're Just Giving Up'". sportscasting.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  36. 1 2 3 Harper, Zach. "NBA 75: At No. 74, Robert Parish was the unselfish and underappreciated backbone of '80s Celtics". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Robert Parish". lasportshall.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  38. ↑ Kaplan, Peter J. (June 29, 2020). "ROBERT PARISH, KEVIN WILLIS, KEVIN GARNETT, VINCE CARTER AND DIRK NOWITZKI". petejkaplan@medium.com.
  39. ↑ "On this day: Celtic champ Robert Parish' Jersey retired; Burrough born". Yahoo Sports. January 18, 2023. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  40. ↑ "NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced". NBA.com. October 21, 2021. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  41. ↑ Seidel, Jeff (May 3, 2001). "USBL: Minor League, Major Dreams". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Grossfeld, Stan (January 25, 2013). "Robert Parish yearns for NBA coaching job". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  43. ↑ "History of the United States Basketball League". APBR.org. Association for Professional Basketball Research. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  44. ↑ Washburn, Gary (May 28, 2016). "Robert Parish prefers to leave the glory behind". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  45. ↑ "PARISH: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE". Chicago Tribune. May 30, 1997. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  46. 1 2 "Parish, Ex-Wife Feud Is Very Old News And Much Disputed". www.spokesman.com. July 29, 1995. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  47. ↑ "EX-WIFE ACCUSES PARISH OF ABUSE". WashingtonPost.com. July 27, 1995.
  48. ↑ "Marijuana found in Parish's home, authorities say -". UPI.com. February 11, 1993. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  49. ↑ "Parish given six months unsupervised probation". UPI.com. February 25, 1993.
  50. ↑ May, Peter (September 10, 2003). "Longevity was Parish trademark". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  51. ↑ Whitfield, Stephanie (April 14, 2015). "Top 15 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Vegetarian". TheSportster.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Boston legend Robert Parish talks Celtics All-Stars, Robert Williams, coaching and more in new interview". celticswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
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