EXCLUSIVE: Robert Parish Remembers Bill Walton in New Book

In his new book, Robert Parish explains how Bill Walton made the ultimate difference for the 1985-86 Boston Celtics.

According to Robert Parish, it was easy being green thanks to Big Red.

Parish has penned a memoir centering on his lasting basketball career alongside tenured basketball author Jake Uitti, who has previously assisted the literary endeavors of Michael Cooper, Tim Hardaway, and the late Michael Ray Richardson. Entitled “The Chief: The Story of the Boston Celtics’ Most Enigmatic Icon,” the stoic Parish reflects on a story that began in Shreveport, LA and eventually yielded what has stood as the second longest career in NBA history in terms of games played (1,611) behind LeBron James.

To order Uitti’s book on Amazon, CLICK HERE.

Parish’s shutdown defense and sterling shot ensures an eternal legacy beyond his longevity, which was best known for a 14-year tour with the Celtics that yielded three titles and nine All-Star showings before his famed No. 00 was inducted into the Beantown stratosphere alongside former teammates like Cedric Maxwell and Kevin McHale, both of whom penned the foreword to Parish telling his tale with Uitti’s help.

In addition to the Celtics, Parish also played with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, and Chicago Bulls, the last of whom granted him one last championship in 1997. His career culminated in a 2003 induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Parish’s endeavors have somewhat centered on which of his team stood as the greatest, with the debate largely centered around the 1985-86 Celtics and the 1996-97 Bulls. Parish would give the edge to the former thanks to the presence of the late Bill Walton, who spent the final stanzas of his own legendary career with the Celtics. The duo collaborated with McHale, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, and more to secure Boston’s 16th NBA title and a 40-1 home record headlined by Boston Garden. Parish was part of the headlining “Big Three” alongside Bird and McHale while Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award

View an excerpt from “The Chief” below, courtesy of Uitti …

“You could say that I played on the two best teams in NBA history. Of course, there are a lot of
great candidates, from the 1972 Lakers to the 1985 Lakers to the 2017 Warriors, but the 1986
Boston Celtics and 1997 Chicago Bulls might just be the two at the top. When people ask me
to compare the two or to guess who would win in a seven-game series, my answer is always the same. Our Boston team had the advantage. It wasn’t because Larry was better than Michael, or Kevin was better than Scottie, or I was better than Dennis. No, it didn’t even come down to one of our starters. It was our bench. It was William.”

“With William, we had more firepower. People don’t realize the difference-maker Bill Walton
was for us in 1986. The league didn’t have an answer for him. Our 1986 team was excellent but
with him, we were likely the best ever. It’s because of William that I think our 1986 Boston
Celtics team would beat the 1997 Chicago Bulls team. I believe the Lakers beat us in 1985 and
1987 because they had just that little bit more firepower than we did. But we won in 1986
because we were the superior team. If Len Bias hadn’t passed away, we may have had the edge in 1987 and in later years. Reggie Lewis could have been a champion, too.”

“But even more than his talent on the court, what I loved about William was his exuberance for
life. He was always upbeat. I’ve never seen him—not one time—be down, depressed, or in a
bad mood. William was always feeling good about life! Feeling good about himself. He was
always happy to be here. Always happy to see you. That’s tough to do! Nobody feels good all
the time. But no matter what was going on inside or with his family, career, or whatever, he
always had something positive to say. That was one of the things I always liked and admired
about William. He was always just happy!”

“We meshed well as people because it was good for me to be around someone like him. He
lifted my spirits. If I was having an off day or wasn’t feeling great or if my wife at the time was
pissing me off or if I wasn’t playing well, he was always there as positive motivation. A bright
light of a person. He was a rare bird. Not to mention all the respect William gave me when he
came to the Celtics and spoke to me about it first, which he did not have to do. William
introduced me at my Hall of Fame induction, and when he passed a few years ago, it was very
sad for me. He was a dear friend who I cared a lot about. The world got a little less bright when
he died.”

“When it came to Walton, though, everyone knew he was a “Deadhead” even more than he was
a baller. He just loved Grateful Dead music. Jerry Garcia, the culture around the group, the
whole thing. William practically lived for it. He kept telling us in Boston that we’d love it, that
we had to go to see it. Then finally, he wore us down. William was able to get me, Kevin, Larry,
and Jim Paxson to go with him to a Grateful Dead concert in Worcester, Massachusetts. Oh boy, did he work for that one. It took a while to get us all to agree, but he made it work. He
stayed with it, pestering and cajoling us.”

“He said things like, ‘You’ve never heard them before! I wouldn’t take you to a bad venue or a
mediocre show!’ Larry was tripping about all the attention we would garnish, a bunch of seven-
footers at a Dead show. It was a valid concern. But William promised we’d have a good spot
and that he’d provide security. We did get a lot of attention that night, but he was able to set it
up where we were able to enjoy the entertainment. We even got to sit on a couch onstage that
the band’s Phil Lesh put out for us along with a cooler of beer. In the end, it was one of the best
shows I’ve ever been to. Going into it, I kept telling myself this was a bad idea. That I should not
have gone! But I actually enjoyed it, as a matter of fact.”

“William, Kevin, and I shook our asses a bit. I got a little animated. Larry didn’t shake his ass at
all, but he did pump his fists a little. He also got to chat with Jerry Garcia, probably talking about what it’s like to be so famous. That’s how good the show was. I was surprised that I enjoyed it so much. From there, William introduced me to artists like Bruce Springsteen, who we saw at the Boston Garden, and the Rolling Stones, who I’ve still never seen live. At that Dead show in Worcester, William was like a teenager going to see his first concert. He was all in! He thought he was the most fortunate person on Earth. He’d say that whenever he talked about the Dead: ‘I’m the luckiest person on the planet! I get to listen to Jerry Garcia and his band!'”

“After the show, we got to meet the musicians, including Jerry. They were all very gracious,
warm, and receptive. They weren’t in awe of us seven-footers either, which was nice. Everyone
got along and we all congratulated each other on our various successes. They knew about our
team because of William. They followed the Celtics because of him. I liked the band even more
after meeting them. Sometimes celebrities can be a disappointment when you get to know
them up close—let’s leave it at that. But they were very kind and hospitable. I was glad William
pushed me to give them a chance, and I’ll always remember that concert in Worcester.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags