6/14/97
In what may have been his career swan song, Robert Parish didn't play a
single minute for the Bulls during their six-game conquest of the Utah
Jazz.
So with Chicago's 90-86 victory in
the bag, he had plenty of time to look east to the Celtics and what he
hopes will be a successful rebuilding project.
Unlike most C's fans, the 43-year-old Chief is preaching patience. He is impressed by new coach Rick Pitino
and a bit surprised by the scope of the change in the organization, but
he knows the main factor in determining the club's return to
prominence.
"They got themselves the best
coach available. Everyone knows that," Parish said. "But it won't really
mean anything as far as wins and losses until they get the talent they
need."
As for the organizational sweep,
Parish said: "I think we knew they were going to clean house, but I was
definitely surprised so many front office people were let go. It didn't
surprise me that there was a coaching change, but it looks like they
changed almost everyone."
M.L. Carr,
removed as coach and director of basketball operations and given a job
in corporate development with the C's, has said he tried to keep Parish
from leaving the team as a free agent, but the Chief said staying wasn't
really an option.
Remaining with the Bulls
may be a similar situation. Parish played in just two postseason games -
a total of 18 minutes in the second round against Atlanta - and there
was talk that coach Phil Jackson kept him on the pine because he
disagreed with Bulls general manager Jerry Krause's decision to keep the
Chief on the playoff roster.
"No, that's
baloney," said Krause, a Parish fan since trying, unsuccessfully, to get
him to leave Centenary early. "I'd call it another word, but we're in a
family situation here."
Parish saw it as a team situation that he didn't want to upset.
"The last thing you should do is second-guess the coach, because he has a lot on his mind," he said.
7 comments:
Chief was never given the credit he was due because he played with Bird and McHale. Glad he got that extra ring after leaving the Celtics.
When I watch Perk run up the court, sometimes he runs just like Chief used to.
I think it was 84 and there was a feeling at mid year he was the best center in the nba
Is perk healthy this fall?
He came into the season healthy but dislocated a finger in their first game. He was doing good too. Had 6 rebounds in 11 minutes. Then he left with the dislocated finger.
that's the old perk
I think he grabbed 20 rebounds against the pistons in the ECFs and when the media asked him how he did it, said something about the Celtics not having a center...
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