Parish Stars as C's Blow Out Cavs

1990-91 Boston Celtics Remembering the 29-5 Start  

November 3, 1990 

 His numbers tend to slip through the cracks, much like the man himself tries to do. In the wake of Opening Night, when the Celtics thrashed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 125-101, Robert Parish showered quickly, slipped out the side door and tried to exit quietly, anonymously. This was not the work of a man hiding from his performance. 

Even though Reggie Lewis and Larry Bird and Kevin McHale might have jumped out at the multitudes during last night's gala, the more discerning fans found themselves marveling at No. 00, running up and down the floor like a long, lanky gazelle, fulfilling his stated responsibilities with a stoicism that often masks his own passion for the game. Need proof of commitment? Check the stat sheet. Aside from Bird, no one played more minutes than Robert Parish. Nobody came close to duplicating his shooting accuracy of 10 for 11 from the floor. 

Perhaps his game-high 14 rebounds eluded you? Be advised the worth of this 37-year-old center, the oldest player in the NBA, has never escaped his teammates. "You get so accustomed to Robert's play, sometimes you just take it for granted," said McHale.

 "He's been a tremendous teammate for 11 years. At some point, you look beyond basketball and say to yourself, 'What kind of guy is this?' You look at Robert once and you know." It was a difficult offseason for Parish. His divorce spilled over into the tabloids, and this intensely private man had to live with some distasteful public scrutiny. 

 

Later his name popped up in the sports pages, where every trade rumor included him as bait. Finally, he lost his closest friend on the team, Dennis Johnson, who was not re-signed. "I was thinking about him," said Parish. "It's funny here without him. I miss him a lot."

 The emotions, however, have never altered his play. They did not prevent him from lofting soft turnaround rainbows in the paint, or ripping rebounds out from a crowd. 

They didn't affect the defensive job he did on young Brad Daugherty, who was always aware of No. 00 on his back, and shot 5 for 16 from the floor to prove it. Those are the advertised talents of Parish, the ones McHale is talking about taking for granted. Yet the oldest player in the league had a few more wares to peddle. 

There was his full-court pass to McHale on the break, a perfect strike that evoked a small, albeit warm smile from the Chief himself. There was also a poke-check steal in the open floor, a gift to his friend DJ, who had done it so many times. 

 "Robert is a very predictable player," said assistant coach Don Casey. "He always maximizes his position and his strength. "But there's more, too. This is not a rah-rah type of emotional team, but he is the spiritual leader. This is a work ethic franchise, and Chief is the model." 

The young guys tuckered Parish out last night, pushing and pushing the ball, imploring the veterans to keep on running. "I try to keep up, but it's impossible," Parish said.

 "Our backcourt is definitely into this, aren't they?" He refuses to think about Dee Brown being 21 years old, barely half his age. He kids with these young players, but has no choice but to be a bit removed. 

The list of longtime allies is dwindling; McHale and Bird are the only ones left. "Robert is one of those great players that doesn't care if he gets four shots a game or 10 shots a game," said Bird. "But this year I think it's really important for him to average 15 points a game or more." Bird was asked if he's noticed the list is dwindling. He was asked if he realized Parish is the oldest player in basketball. 

 "I don't care," he said. "I'm just glad he's here. After all the talk over the summer, I didn't know if he'd be gone or I'd be gone or we'd both be gone . . . I'm just glad he's here." He has been here 11 seasons, and has been trying to slip through the cracks most of that time. "It's just another year," said the oldest player in the league. "It doesn't feel any different."