Robert Parish: NBA legend among legends

Robert Parish is a big man like no other in the history of the NBA. And not just because the hall of famer has four championship rings, and an incredibly long career. Parish retired in 2003 with 1611 games played. That total game record might NEVER be broken. But no big centre has ever covered the court the way Parish did. He finished fast breaks, and showed speed and shooting accuracy that is beyond rare for the tallest players. His fellow Hall of Famer, Bill Walton says "There was the rebounding. There was the defense. There was the scoring. There was the setting of screens. There was the way he ran the floor. How many centers in today's NBA do any of that?" What set the 7’1” center apart for fans was his puzzling reserve. He was an introvert in a sport that thrives on emotion, and big personality players. If Parish was shooting the lights out, or as he says, if he was having a day in which he should never have gotten out of bed- his silent and serious manner was exactly the same. Management called him a stoic player. He simply says he is most comfortable in his own company. What ultimately set the Celtics (and Warriors, and Hornets, and Bulls) legend apart in the stats though, is another facet of his quiet, loner attitude. Way back in 1976, when he was young and invincible, and nobody was taking these things seriously, Parish got into yoga, nutritional science, weights and flexibilty training. So, decades later, when the then 43 year-old became the oldest Championship winner in history, it was because of that long standing work ethic. Commentators could never get over how fast, fit and flexible the big man continued to be. As the pushing 70 star says to Player’s own Voice Podcast host Anastasia Bucsis, with a deep chuckle, once the interview wraps, he’s got some yoga to see to, and yes he can still touch his toes.