The Robert Parish Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Wednesday, May 11th, 2005
It
was Cedric Maxwell who nicknamed you Chief, in reference to Chief Bromden, the
silent giant from the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. When I
spoke with Cedric, he had this to say about you: 'Most people think of Robert
as quiet, stoic figure, but don't let him fool you. The man can tell a joke. A
lot of people don’t realize that about Robert. He's a really funny guy with a
very good sense of humor.' Please tell me a little about Cedric, and also about
the comedic side of Robert Parish.
Cedric
nicknamed me Chief because when I came to Boston I was always talking about this
movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. I’m a big fan of Jack Nicholson,
and I finally convinced Cedric to see the movie. He said that I had similar
characteristics to Chief – mainly because Chief had ‘em all fooled. He couldn’t
talk – he was a mute – and then it turns out that there wasn’t anything wrong
with the Chief. He was just there, in that insane asylum, relaxing and taking
it easy. And because I was so quiet, I think I had a lot of people fooled. So
that’s how I came about that nickname. Oh, and I have a wicked sense of humor
[laughs]. Only people who are in my inner circle know that, though.
The
Celtics and the 76ers waged some great battles in the early 80s, none better
than the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals. Down 3-1, you were able to win
three consecutive games and a trip to the championship series against
Houston. What memories do you have of that great comeback against the
Sixers?
I
would have to credit our coach at the time, Bill Fitch, for us staying
determined and focused, and for us not giving up. He instilled a physical
toughness in us, but he also instilled a mental toughness that helped carry
us even when things looked to be hopeless. Even though we were down 3-1, he
never let us doubt ourselves. He always preached that we could come back
and win the series. He said that it’s not over until it’s over. And that
attitude really started from the first day of training camp. I think that
was one of the big reasons we were able to prevail in that series.
Your
first head coach in Boston was Bill Fitch. Please tell me a little about
Mr. Fitch.
Bill
Fitch was the perfect coach for us at the time. We were young, and he had a
lifetime of coaching experience to share with us. He was a great Xs and Os
coach, as well as a great tactician. He really understood the game. And as
I’ve said, he instilled a great sense of belief in ourselves. We had the
physical tools to succeed at the NBA level, but he helped give us the mental
toughness that can help carry us through all types of adversity. He also
taught us structure and discipline. He helped us to stay focused. I have a
tremendous amount of respect for Bill Fitch.
The
Celtics came up short in the two seasons following that championship win
over Houston, the team's 14th overall. A four-game sweep at the hands of
the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1983 NBA Playoffs may have been the low point.
What did the acquisition of Dennis Johnson mean in terms of winning another
title?
He
fortified our defensive presence, for one thing. Also, he gave us another
point guard after Tiny Archibald retired. People don’t realize just how
talented Dennis Johnson was, because he made the transition from off guard
to point guard appear so seamless. That’s a hell of a transition, I think,
and he did it comfortably. Dennis was just exactly what we needed at that
time to solidify our backcourt. He gave us the defensive presence that we
needed back there, and he complimented our frontcourt players.
