Just browsing back through some NBA history recently. This guy, the more I study his career, he was really something else. #1 in games played, probably #9 in minutes played, over 23,000 points, stellar defender, 14.5/9 in a career that spanned something like 23 seasons, played effectively into his 40's, championship team player. The Celtics traded a draft pick (Joe Barry Carroll) for him and Mchale, he put up high teens in points when he was playing on those chamipship Celtic teams. He really was on par with Moses and Kareem in his hayday but he doesn't receive the accolades because of Bird, McHale, and the rest. Where do I rank him on my list of big men?? 1. Hakeem 2. Kareem 3. Russell 4. Wilt 5. Shaq 6. Moses 7. Parish 8. Ewing 9. Walton 10. Mikan
He was NEVER on par with Moses or Kareem. He is in the very good, but not great category. Also... he is with the Sikma's and Artis Gilmore's of the world.
Bob Lanier... Any C list that doesn't have him is jacked up... <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O12jD3gnkL0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I think you're overrating Parish a bit, I think he was a very solid player for a long time but not elite, and gains in perception from playing with great players in Boston. I think Ewing (and David Robinson, who somehow slipped your list) was definitely better than Parish, as are Bob Lanier and Artis Gilmore, probably Willis Reed and Dwight Howard (judging up to now, if he keeps up his pace he will definitely be better than Parish), and there are probably others that I'm forgetting.
Dude was good. I'd have no problem subbing him for Mikan. Mikan was a token ad from the original basketball era.
haha, no Robinson,,,that's so freaking awesome....rep. As for Parish, he will forever go down in infamy for clocking Lamebeer (to make up for the egregious Bird suspension) and not getting called for it.
He was suspended for Game 6 for going after Laimbeer. That seems like nothing now, but that was a lot for back then (for example Ralph Sampson and Jerry Sichting fought each other in Game 5 of the 1986 Finals and neither was suspended for the next game). Also Laimbeer was an extremely dirty player. He had it coming.
Probably one of the most overlooked centers of all time. He was really solid until his last few seasons, when he kept playing because of money problems. I'll never pick Parish as a starting center on all time team, but he could hold his own against anyone of his day.
The Chief! He had one of the ugliest jump shots I have ever had the pleasure of watching. Solid, very solid center, but nothing spectacular. Something like Otis Thorpe. Sorry but Ewing was better. Ewing was the focal point of a championship caliber team. You could not build a championship team around Parish.