Robert Parish on how fellow iconic Celtics big man Bill Russell prepared him to play in Boston

‘I was really leery and hesitant of the city,’ shared Parish, who’d had a negative experience with Celtics fans his rookie season with the Warriors.

The Boston Celtics seem to have a soft spot for big men from northern Louisiana, and it has paid off on the court for the storied franchise over the decades, whether we are talking Robert Williams III today, or Hall of Famers like Bill Russell and Robert Parish.

The latter of the trio was recently asked about Russell’s impact on the game, and Parish opened up with a tale not only about the 11-time champion but how he himself saw the city of Boston after a distasteful interaction with some misguided locals early in his career on an episode of the “Players’ Own Voice” podcast.

“Mr. Russell should be revered,” said Chief when asked whether he had any memories of Russell talking about some of the things that were important to him off the court.