Tag: Robert Parish

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps picks his all-time Boston Celtics starting five

When it comes to all-time great players, the Boston Celtics have had no shortage of them over their seven-plus decades of storied history.

When it comes to all-time great players, the Boston Celtics have had no shortage over their seven-plus decades of storied history.

From Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Tommy Heinsohn and KC Jones to Paul Silas and Jo Jo White all the way up to Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, there has been an embarrassment of riches for Celtics fans to enjoy over the decades. And that’s not even considering more recent Hall of Famers such as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett! So, the mental exercise of coming up with an all-time starting five for Boston is no easy task.

But ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps tackled the project, coming up with his own five greatest Celtics for posterity’s sake.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they are, and see if they line up with the five greats you would pick yourself.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics legend Robert Parish on when he knew it was time to retire

How do NBA players know when it is time to retire from the sport? For Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Robert Parish, the signs were clear.

How do NBA players know when it is time to retire from the sport? For Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Robert Parish, the signs were clear. “I think it was my 20th year,” said the Celtics center via the Guardian’s Jacob Uitti.

Chief — as Parish was sometimes called — broke down how it became clear to him it was time to hang it up. “A telltale sign that your career is done or close to being done is when you have a monster game, and it takes you another seven-to-10 games to have another monstrous game,” he explained.

In his penultimate season, playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Parish related that he “noticed a big difference” in his level of play. “A big, big difference. Even in practices. I’d be kicking ass in practice but then it takes me another four-to-six practices to kick that same ass again!”

“That’s another telltale sign it’s time to retire – when a player that is not on your level is giving you the business and you can’t do (expletive) about it,” Chief suggested.

Was it hard to pack it in after winning one more title with the Chicago Bulls the next season? “Not at all,” he said. “I knew it was time.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Giddens debut; Rajon Rondo, Gene Kaftan born; Dennis Johnson passes

On this day in Celtics history, J.R. Giddens debuted for the team, Larry bird scored 36 points and 14 rebounds, and Robert Parish 26 and 17.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, small forward Justin Ray “J.R” Giddens made his debut for the team in 2009.

Picked up by the Celtics with the 30th overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft out of the University of New Mexico, Giddens would spend much of his first season with the defending champions with the team’s developmental affiliate at that time — the Utah Flash — in the D League (as the G League was known at that time). The Oklahoma City native would play his first minutes at the NBA level came in a 128-108 win over the Phoenix Suns on the road.

Giddens went scoreless in a minute and a half of play.

On this day: Celtic champ Robert Parish’ Jersey retired; Burrough born

On this day in Celtics history, champion center Robert Parish had his jersey retired, and Junior Burrough was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, champion center Robert Parish saw his jersey raised to the rafters alongside banners he helped win as his No. 00 was retired by the Celtics in 1998.

In a ceremony at the halftime of a game against the Indiana Pacers (that was also Larry Bird’s return to the city for the first time as head coach of that organization), Robert “Chief” Parish had his jersey raised to the rafters of the Fleet Center (now, TD Garden). The game was a homecoming of sorts, as besides the return of Bird as coach of the Pacers, Kevin McHale was also in attendance.

He was at that time the vice president of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On this day: Celtic center Robert Parish scores 20k; Dirk Minniefield, Tyler Zeller born

On this day in Celtics history, Robert Parish scored his 20,000th career point and Tyler Zeller and Dirk Minniefield were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary big man Robert Parish scored the 20,000th point of his career with the storied franchise back in 1992. At the time of his considerable achievement, he became just the 16th player in NBA history to reach the lofty scoring plateau.

The iconic center — who was traded to the Celtics from the Golden State Warriors in 1980 after four seasons with Golden State in what is often considered one of the most lopsided trades in league history — would win three titles with Boston in 1981, 1984 and 1986 as part of the so-called “original” Big Three of himself, small forward Larry Bird and power forward Kevin McHale.

Regarded as one of the greatest frontcourts ever assembled, Parish was the anchor that held it all together.

Who are the top 10 Boston Celtics players of all time?

From Ed Macauley and Bill Russell to Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, and Paul Pierce, the list of names to choose from is extensive.

Who are the top 10 Boston Celtics players of all time? Back in the early years, there was Ed Macauley and Bill Sharman, then in the dynasty years a plethora of options ranging from Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, KC Jones, and John Havlicek.

Later, you could pick from Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, and JoJo White in the 1970s, and Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale in the 1980s. The 1990s had Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, the latter of whom stuck around to win a title in the aughts with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Even with all that star power under the history of one franchise, you could still more names the list is so long, making the job done by ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Tim Bontemps, and Ros Gold-Onwude on a recent episode of the “NBA Crosscourt” show all the more impressive.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what names made their lists — and which ones did not.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Parish scores 22,000th point; Sailors, Bloom born; Wedman trade

On this day, Robert Parish joined the 22,000-point club, a pair of future Celtics were born and the team traded for Scott Wedman.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Celtics center Robert Parish scored the 22,000th point of his career in a game he played in 1994. An alum of Louisiana’s Centenary College, Parish was later drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the eighth overall pick of the 1976 NBA draft and would come to the Celtics in a famously lopsided trade in 1980.

He would play for Boston for 14 seasons, winning three of his four NBA titles with the Celtics while also garnering 9 All-Star bids, 2 All-NBA team selections, and a host of other honors.

The game in which he hit the 22,000-point plateau was a 21-point performance in a 102 – 95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Parish becoming (at that time) only the twelfth person in league history to reach that mark.

Not every 1981 Boston Celtics champion was a fan of Bill Fitch’s coaching style

But in the end, winning was what mattered.

Former Boston Celtics head coach Bill Fitch was held in high regard for what he accomplished on the court with the teams he led. The Celtics were no exception. Boston legend Larry Bird was a fan of Fitch’s coaching style that helped lead to the Celtics’ 14th title in 1981.

But not all of Bird’s teammates were as wild about Fitch’s bedside manner, even if they respected the results. Among such players is Hall of Fame Celtics center Robert Parish, who described how Fitch bothered him with how he treated players on a recent episode of the “Players’ Own Voice” podcast.

“The late, great Bill Fitch — great coach, but he was lacking in the people skills,” said Parish.

On this day: Rick Pitino resigns as coach, president; Parish gets 13k boards

On this day in Celtics history, former coach and team president Rick Pitino resigned, and Robert Parish got his 13,000th career rebound.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics head coach and President of Basketball Operations Rick Pitino resigned from his posts with the storied franchise back in 2001.

Having joined the Celtics organization in 1997 in his second stint in the NBA (he had previously been the head coach of the New York Knicks) after nearly winning a national title with the Kentucky Wildcats at the NCAA level, losing in overtime to Arizona. Things did not go so well with the Celtics however, with his impatience with the roster and resulting trades failing to produce a winning record during his tenure.

This would result in a 102-146 record during his tenure, as well as the famous “Larry Bird is not walking through that door” rant.

Boston big man legend Robert Parish on how yoga helped save his NBA career

Improving his diet and flexibility through eating well and doing yoga — now a staple of athletes in the Association — the Centenary College alum added years to his time in the league.

With a Hall of Fame NBA career spanning more than two decades, iconic Boston Celtics big man Robert Parish extended the years of his legendary playing career through what were, at that time in the history of the league, quite unorthodox methods.

Improving his diet and flexibility through eating well and doing yoga — now a staple of athletes in the Association — the Centenary College alum added years to his time in the league, even winning a fourth title with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls after his time in Boston had come to an end in the early 1990s.

Speaking in an interview with the “Players Own Voice” podcast, Parish explained how it all started for him regarding said unorthodox methods.