Robert Parish was one of the key members of the Boston Celtics‘ dynasty of the 80s. Playing alongside legends such as Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Parish carved out a name for himself as one of the most durable athletes of the era.
Despite his calm disposition, Robert Parish was known for his toughness and his undying loyalty to his Celtics teammates. Still, during an infamous brawl between Larry Bird and Julius Erving in 1984, Parish admitted to intentionally being a bystander while recalling the story on “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast.”
“I was going through a contract dispute with the Celtics,” Parish revealed. “We were going back-and-forth… Anyway, they asked Larry about these negotiations, and Larry said, ‘Well, if Robert doesn’t want to be here, trade him, and just give me the basketball.’ Basically, he was saying that he could pick up the slack that was left by me.”
It is assumed that these negotiations took place in 1983, a period when Parish was a formidable force, averaging 19.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Bird, who was in his fourth season at the time, was already among the best players in the NBA, having averaged 23.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
Needless to say, despite Bird’s individual brilliance, Parish had every reason to feel offended.
“When Moses [Malone] and Dr. J were kicking his a–, I said to myself, ‘I wish I would,'” Parish added. “I walked away. I went and sat down. There was no way I was helping him, Cedric. He didn’t support me.”
Parish reiterated that his relationship with Bird was fine and there was mutual respect. Still, his disappointment with his teammate was profound, especially since he wouldn’t treat any of his teammates the same way.
Robert Parish’s Contract Dispute With The Celtics
Robert Parish’s contract negotiations with the Boston Celtics were disastrous, to say the least. While Parish was known as a deeply loyal man, matters had gotten so ugly that many believed Parish would leave Boston in due time.
Before the 1983-84 season began, Parish reportedly boycotted the preseason in response to the failed contract discussions with the Celtics’ front office. When delving deeper, for obvious reasons, the problem stemmed from how much he was getting paid in relation to his frontcourt counterpart, Kevin McHale.
At the time, the Celtics’ big man, who had been in the league for seven years at that point, was earning $650,000. In comparison, McHale, who only had three years of experience, was already earning $1 million.
Considering the impact Robert Parish had on the Celtics’ success, along with his experience, his qualms seemed reasonable. Given that McHale, at this stage in his career, used to come off the bench, Parish’s concerns were even more justified.
Unfortunately, the big man still had two years left on his pre-existing deal, creating further challenges in signing a new contract. When pairing this with Larry Bird’s apathetic reaction to his tribulations, Robert Parish’s decision to stay out of the Bird-Erving fight seems fair.
