Chief achieves Fame in Boston

Reflecting on Celtic past, we'll always have Parish

By Peter May, Globe Staff, 9/7/2003

The longer he played, the more obvious it became that Robert Parish would join the other members of the Big Three in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Twenty-one years? More than 1,600 games? Who would have thunk it?

It's easy to remember the golden days of the Chief. The Celtics didn't win a title in the Bird era without him and they would have gone titleless without him. But to listen to Parish speak Friday prior to his Hall of Fame induction was to listen to someone who not only never thought about the Hall of Fame, but also was contemplating a new line of work before he ever came to Boston. That's because Parish spent the first four years of his career on a dysfunctional, selfish, going-nowhere team in Golden State, playing for an owner who did not want to pay anything to keep him.

"I seriously thought about retirement," Parish said. "I wasn't enjoying the game."

He wasn't a particularly enjoyable player to watch at that time, either. Think Vin Baker, last year, and combine him with the underachieving Michael Olowokandi of last year and you sort of get the Robert Parish of 1976-80. He was your basic rotisserie player for the Warriors, filling up the stat sheet for a losing team.

No one could have envisioned 17 more NBA seasons for him. No one could have anticipated him becoming one of the top 50 players of all time, being an MVP candidate, being a pivotal part of three world champions. And even in his early days in Boston, it was a struggle. Bill Fitch called him a big stiff. Fitch ran him ragged, including one memorable stretch in an exhibition game after the sudden retirement of Dave Cowens when Parish picked up foul after foul and Fitch made him stay out on the floor.

But Fitch turned him into one of the best running centers of his time. That's an oxymoron these days; there are few centers and fewer teams that actually run. It didn't hurt that Parish found the perfect atmosphere in which to blend, which had always been his idea of hoop nirvana. He could be himself, cede the spotlight, and go about his business.

And did he ever do it well -- and regularly. Unlike Larry Bird or Kevin McHale, Parish never broke down. He never played fewer than 74 games as a Celtic. He was into taekwondo when it wasn't cool because he didn't feel he was quick enough getting to rebounds. He cared about nutrition and gave up wine. He took care of his body to the point where doctors and trainers marveled at his healing prowess. And he played the first seven years in Boston not knowing he had only 80 percent extension in his right (shooting) elbow.

Fittingly, durability and longevity meshed with a sufficient amount of talent to guarantee Parish a spot in Springfield. McHale said he admired the durability and reliability of Parish more than any other teammate. The Chief made it to the Hall in his first year of eligibility, joining another unsung player in James Worthy. You may not like Parish's behavior off the court, but basketball is the only yardstick for Springfield, and Parish was clearly a quality candidate.

He left the Celtics in 1994, just as things were starting to disassemble. My only regret: that he wasn't here when Rick Pitino came. Now that would have made for one interesting relationship. (Wonder whether Pitino would have called Parish "son.") He spent two years in Charlotte and then added another ring as a bench warmer/guru for the Bulls. Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause loved Parish and called him "Bob."

Parish said he wants to get back into the game. Those of us who knew him when he played for Boston swore he'd never set foot in a gym once he retired. He just didn't seem to enjoy it with the appropriate zeal. But the guess is now that he's enshrined and has a renewed dedication, Parish's Wilderness Years will come to an end. Someone, somewhere, should be able to find a place for a guy who learned so much and is eager to pass it on.

Dropping the ball on Ortiz

The numbers still jump out at you, a week after the fact: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 7 blocked shots. Which leads to one question: Why has Jose Ortiz been unwilling or unable to land a job in the NBA for the last 13 years? "It's pretty simple," said Warren LeGarie, Ortiz's longtime agent. "He wanted to play in the NBA. But teams would never guarantee him. People made up their minds about Jose when he left Utah and, for whatever reason, they never changed their perception. A lot of people in the NBA are not receptive to changing their minds because then it would admit that they were wrong in the first place. So it's better just to exclude it." The man universally known in Puerto Rico as "Piculin" is 39 years old but has a body right out of the Gold's Gym calendar. He can still run the floor. He can rebound. He can set screens. Watching him at the Tournament of the Americas, you could come to no other conclusion than that the 6-foot-10-inch Ortiz could do very well in the center-challenged NBA, especially as a backup, where his minutes would be monitored. Ortiz had his near-quadruple-double against Canada in the cutthroat bronze-medal game at the Olympic qualifier. Simply, the winner went on to Athens, the loser went home. Canada may have had a team pretty much consisting of Steve Nash and 11 salmon fishermen, but Ortiz simply overwhelmed them. And you left wondering why, even now, no NBA team has called to bring him aboard. Ortiz last played in the NBA with Utah in 1988-89 and part of 1989-90. "Maybe if he had come to us a little later in his career, it might have worked out better," said Scott Layden, the former Jazz GM who signed Ortiz. "Jose was a great player, the Pac 10 Player of the Year [over Reggie Miller] and he had great size and could really run the floor." LeGarie said last week he had not received a single call about Ortiz. Maybe he's right. Maybe the NBA made up its mind a long time ago about Ortiz and is collectively resistant to change. LeGarie said he was close to a deal once with New Jersey and Miami, but things fell through. Can you imagine a guy like Ortiz playing in Miami? He'd be huge. He certainly was against Canada. "He was always good and agile and now he's an even more intelligent player," said Canada coach Jay Triano. "A lot of NBA teams could use a guy with that kind of size who also can pass it the way he does."

Rebounding effort

If you're a Toronto Raptors fan, you had to feel elated about the play of Vince Carter in the Tournament of the Americas. A late addition to the US team, Carter made a solid case for himself to be added to the Athens squad while also showing the most hops in a couple of years. "Vince looked rejuvenated, healthy, and like he fit right in," Triano said. "He had a lot of bounce and it looked like he was enjoying himself out there." It's been a long road back for Carter, who has been hit with injuries the last two years, missing 61 games, including 39 last season. But he was your basic frequent flyer in Puerto Rico. "I feel good. Real good," he said. "I just don't know the right word. But I feel I can bring it to the basket and I know what I have to do." Asked how it felt from a mental standpoint, Carter said, "I'm comfortable more than anything. I'm just not worried about it. I feel that if I just go out there and play hard, everything will take care of itself." Watching with fingers crossed in Toronto was Raptors GM Glen Grunwald. "I'm just excited and very happy for Vince," Grunwald said. "He has been maligned here for the last couple of years and it looks like he's getting back to his rightful place as one of the elite players in the league. I talked to a lot of people who saw him, played against him, and everyone said the same thing. Plus, he seems to have that confidence back." Grunwald said he had no problem with Carter playing in the tournament, adding that, "Before he left, he told us he hadn't felt this good in two years." Grunwald paused, then added, "Of course, if he'd have gotten hurt, they would have killed us up here." . . . Triano on the problems facing Canada down the road: "The biggest thing is our depth. We just don't have a lot of guys playing pro in our country or other countries. They have to be imports or have dual nationalities. It makes it tough for us. We don't have a pro league. Argentina has a pro league. Puerto Rico has a pro league. We tell our guys when they are out of university at 23, to go overseas, get a job and play for us in the summertime. It's a tough situation." Nash was noncommittal about future Canada engagements. Rick Fox was hurt this year, but he hasn't laced them up for the motherland since 1994. And Jamaal Magloire, who really would have helped, chose not to play because he is trying to get a contract extension from the Hornets and didn't want to risk injury . . . The Tournament of the Americas is kid stuff compared with what's going on over in Sweden. There are 16 teams there for the European qualifier and three lucky countries will emerge to join automatic qualifiers Serbia and Montenegro (world champs) and Greece (host country) in Athens. There's some pretty strong talent on display. Dirk Nowitzki is leading the Germans. Peja Stojakovic has shown up to play for the Serbs, although they didn't send their A team. Pau Gasol is playing for Spain and Tony Parker, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and Jerome Moiso are on the French squad. France is expected to move on, but will have to do so without its latest sensation, lottery pick Mickael Pietrus. He simply decided he was too worn out to make a meaningful contribution -- his season didn't end until late June -- and he wants to be ready for this year's campaign with the Warriors. The qualifier started Friday and ends next Sunday.

Cash consideration

Speaking of the Warriors, you can put the onus squarely on owner Chris Cohan and CEO Robert Rowell for their recent megaswap with Dallas. (GM Garry St. Jean still hasn't spoken publicly about the deal, probably because he can't find a loud- enough laugh track.) Golden State surrendered Antawn Jamison, Chris Mills, Danny Fortson, and Jiri Welsch for Nick Van Exel, Popeye Jones, Evan Eschmeyer, and Avery Johnson. This was not a trade made to improve the Warriors, but it most assuredly will improve the bottom line. The four players sent to Dallas were owed around $103 million. The four players coming from Dallas are owed around $44 million. Van Exel has a club option for 2005-06 for more than $13 million, but has no chance of getting that picked up, which should really make him a happy camper. Meanwhile, coach Eric Musselman, who did such a fine job last season, has to start all over again. The argument from a Warrior standpoint: We weren't going anywhere with what we had and we had to get rid of some silly contracts. But if you're a Warriors fan, you have every right to feel ownership has pulled the plug before the season even started. In addition to Jamison, they also lost Gilbert Arenas to free agency, which means they start the season without their two best players from last year. If you're a Dallas fan, you still don't have the big man you want, but you have another proven scorer in Jamison, a determined banger in Fortson, and, in Welsch, the X factor in the deal . . . Old friend Ruben Wolkowyski, who had a brief stint here last year and also has played with the Mavericks and Sonics, was in Los Angeles last weekend working out for the Clippers. However, the likelihood is that he ends up back in Spain, but not with the team he played for last year after leaving the Celtics . . . Here's one that crosses a few lines: One of Bill Walton's four sons is a candidate for governor of California. Nathan Whitecloud Walton attended Princeton, where he played basketball, and is planning to enroll at Stanford to pursue an MBA. In the interim, he's on the crowded California ballot and has his own website, nate4gov.com. "I am running as a non-partisan, independent of the party politics that have threatened to destroy our proud democracy. It is time for people like you and me to take back what is rightfully ours; the control of our communities, our natural resources and our destiny," he said on the website. Papa Walton, who also has a son (Luke) with the Lakers, said he would vote against the recall of Gov. Gray Davis, which is allowable, in addition to voting for a candidate to replace Davis if the recall succeeds. Big Bill offered up the following on Nathan's grassroots candidacy: "I'm very proud. I'm a self-appointed senior political adviser for his campaign." Big Bill went on to rail against the recall, but he should use his basketball sources and try to get a recall of the MVP vote at the Tournament of the Americas. Tim Duncan finishing third? After Nash and Manu Ginobili? And no Canadian writers voting for Nash? Now there's a vote worth recalling.

Material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.