Parish a Chief at Peace

When Robert Parish speaks, his few words have the weight of a hundred. When he says it’s about time the city of Boston accepted and embraced a black superstar, it conjures up the image of Parish toiling a decade for the Boston Celtics without complaint, observing and absorbing everything.

When he talks about how media interest has come to him relatively late in his NBA life, the corners of his long face curl up in a bemused smile, with an understanding of the unfairness of that and the irony behind it.

When he talks about how a failed marriage soured his demeanor for years, and how a new relationship has brought him delight, he does so matter-of-factly and without equivocation.

He has had to adjust to “all this happiness I have, peace of mind,” he said. “About time. Not to get into anything negative, but my ex is no longer with me. On the court, things have always been good. But off the court, (nowadays) I’ve been a lot happier.”

There is the basketball, too, as the 38-year-old center chugs on in his 16th pro season toward his goal of playing at 40. He has been the oldest player in the league for some time now, and he will go at least one more year, having signed a $3.5 million contract extension for next season.

“He’s the spiritual leader, the soul of the team,” assistant coach Don Casey says of Parish. “I think Kevin (McHale) is more of the outgoing personality and Larry is more of the heart. Each of them them has their own emotional ties, but he’s the essence, the spirit of the team.”

His numbers keep growing, to the point of esoterica. Parish is the second player in league history (joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to total more than 20,000 points, 12,000 rebounds, 1,200 games played and 2,000 blocked shots.

So why did it take so long for people to give Parish his due? Did it take that long to figure out the difference between stoic and indifferent?

“I think that reputation came from Golden State,” he says of his original employers. “I had a lackadaisical reputation. I didn’t care. They questioned my integrity, my heart, and as a person. Once you get a reputation, no matter what it is, it’s very hard to live down, whether it’s positive or negative. I was under a microscope for a few years. Now, all of a sudden, I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread. Can you understand that? I don’t. Amazing, isn’t it?

“Only in America.”

When Parish was traded along with the third pick of the 1980 draft by Golden State to Boston for two picks, including the first overall, who knew? (The Celtics took McHale with their pick; the Warriors took Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown with theirs.)

No one figured the guy from Centenary College would be a Boston rock, even though he averaged 17.1 points and eight rebounds his last two seasons with the Warriors.

The coach then was Bill Fitch. He punished Parish mercilessly.

Parish says now of Fitch: “The most noticeable thing for me was that he got me in the best shape of my career. I think that enhanced me to play at a higher level, because I was in very good condition.”

Thus the Celtics’ Big Three of Parish, Bird and McHale came into being. Parish’s game was and is spartan in its economy. His turnaround, shot with high arc and arms extended, is nearly impossible to block. There is a quick baseline spin when his man is overplaying him, a short hook shot from the left post and a great ability to fill the lane on fast breaks. He still runs a deadly pick-and-roll with Bird and throws a solid outlet pass.

He decked Bill Laimbeer in the 1987 playoffs (“He was trying to hurt people,” Parish told ESPN this year) with a three-punch combination, about the only time the mask crumbled and his emotions came to the surface. Parish was an all-star nine times, but never a go-to guy. Bird was. McHale was. Dennis Johnson was. Cedric Maxwell was. Parish says this didn’t bother him -- “That would mean I’d have to talk to you people more, wouldn’t it?” he figures.

“Amongst his teammates, he’s a very outgoing person,” said Coach Chris Ford. “With the guys, he’s a lot of fun. He’s always joking. He has a lot of respect from the younger guys. ... “

And as Lewis, a black, ascends to Next Great Celtic stature, Parish thinks “the black-white thing” in Boston finally may be ebbing.

“This is a white town and it likes white heroes and it always has been,” Parish says. “And that’s understanable, because Larry and Kevin put people in the stands. That’s what it’s all about ... but it’s changing. About time. No question.

“I think they’re embracing Reggie already, because they know that Larry and Kevin and myself might be gone. Reggie is definitely going to be the next superstar for the Celtics. He’s going to be the franchise player, without a doubt.”

Parish has noticed a change in the current franchise player as well.

“I think he’s come to terms with the injuries now,” Parish said of Bird. “I think his disposition is better. Noticeably. He’s much more playful. ... He’s not taking it as seriously now, which is important. He’s got a positive attitude and I think that really helps the healing process when you’re thinking positive.”

Parish has never had a major injury, though he’s missed time with the odd ankle sprain. Part of that is a diet that hasn’t included fried foods since 1976, part of it is a devotion to mind and body that has included, he said, a reduction in alcohol consumption.

“Chief is a perfect example for myself,” Lewis says. “He’ll talk to us about certain things, make sure we take care of our bodies. When you see a guy like Chief who’s played as many games as he has you listen.”

Lewis now takes a lot of Boston’s big shots, as Bird missed 37 games with more back pain. Parish averaged 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds this season, shooting 53.5 percent.

As for the current run without Bird and guard Dee Brown, Parish says, “I would prefer like it was before, being in the shadows. But my coach makes me talk to you guys, because Larry’s not here. I’ll be glad when he comes back.”