Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish is out with a new memoir, suitably called “The Chief.” In the book, the four-time NBA Champion and nine-time all-star opens up about his life and time on the historic 1980s Celtics teams.
NHPR’s Morning Edition host Rick Ganley spoke with Parish about the new book.
Transcript
You're really famous for being reserved and private, but you're pretty candid in this book. Why write it now?
[The] time was right. I felt comfortable showing another side to myself. Everybody knew about my accomplishments athletically speaking so just to give you a peek in the window about me as a person. I smile, I laugh, I have a sense of humor. I talk a lot of trash. So, it just gives my fans and my haters another point of view about Robert L. Parish.
The book is called "The Chief," your nickname on the court. How did you feel about that nickname at the time?
I was indifferent to it. Actually, I never thought it would stick. The nickname came about because of the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and the character Chief didn't say a lot. My teammate Cedric Maxwell said I had a similar demeanor or characteristics of that character, and he just started calling me Chief one day. "What's up, Chief? How you doing, Chief? How you feeling?" And it just stuck.
I wonder if that stoicism and being quiet is part of an intimidation tactic, too, when you're on the court. Is it?
No, that's a characteristic, if you will, from my pops. My pops had a similar look. He was real stoic and pensive.
One thing I learned reading this is that you weren't a great basketball player when you started out as a kid. You really didn't get into it until junior high school. What happened? Because you certainly became one of the very best to ever play the game.
I have to give credit for my basketball career, the genesis of it is my junior high school coach, Coleman Kidd, pursued me. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I was 6’1, 6’2 in the seventh grade, and he said I was that tall for a reason. What that reason was, I didn't know at the time because I had never played basketball and certainly not organized basketball. It was embarrassing, to say the least. So that goes to show you, you don't know what's around the corner. Never say never.
You went on to play college ball and then went and got drafted with Golden State. You write in the book that you were nervous when you were traded from the Warriors to the Celtics in 1980 because you had heard about the racism in Boston. Then Bill Russell, former Celtics player and coach – the great Bill Russell – talked with you about it. What did he tell you?
He told me – which I thought were profound words at the time – he told me about Boston the perception is far worse than reality. And that is so true. I have got nothing but love and support and appreciation from the first day I was introduced as a Celtic. The city of Boston, its fans, have definitely embraced me and supported me through my ups and downs, so I have nothing but love and respect for the city of Boston.
That 1986 Celtics team you played on is considered one of the greatest teams in history. What do you think made you all so successful together?
Sacrifice, a willingness to play for the team and not as [an] individual. And also the addition of Bill Walton. The NBA did not have an answer for William. Nobody had an answer for him. He made the difference. And I think it's one of the main reasons we were considered one of the all time best teams ever assembled. Not just Larry [Bird], Kevin [McHale] and myself and DJ (Dennis Johnson), Danny [Ainge] and the rest of my teammates. But I thought the difference maker was Bill Walton. He was that good because nobody had an answer for William. He made me better, and I thought that was all it 'til William showed up.
You played in the 70s, 80s and 90s for coaches that really did emphasize that team spirit, that teamwork. Do you still see that emphasis in today's NBA? Is it more star focused?
A bit of both. The teams that are consistently successful have that same mentality – team before you. You can tell the successful teams because they do it the right way. I'm not talking about these perennial playoff teams that's happy and content with making the playoffs. I'm talking about the teams that are in it to win it -- win the whole thing. It's not a successful season if you don't win the championship.
I know Bill Walton famously brought the whole team, I think back in 86, to see the Grateful Dead. What was that night like for you? What did you guys learn from that?
You should be open minded. Well, for me, I'm gonna speak for myself. I went in with a very narrow mind and didn't really think that I would enjoy myself. I just went because we wouldn't let it go. And I became a fan of the Dead. I have to say, I enjoyed the music.
You talk about in the book that you enjoy partaking a little bit.
I can't even blame it on the bud! Nope, it had nothing to do with it. I just enjoyed the entertainment. Jerry Garcia – I liked what he was doing. It turned out to be a positive, going to the show, because it broadened my musical spectrum.
