Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish has kept an eye on the current team from afar. On Wednesday night, he returned to TD Garden for a closer look.
Parish, a four-time NBA champion, nine-time All-Star, and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, has a resume that speaks for itself. He was part of Boston’s iconic 1986 championship team alongside Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, and Bill Walton, won three titles with the Celtics, and had his No. 00 jersey retired in 1998.
So having him back, honored
courtside during a 120-99 win over the Golden State Warriors, resonated with members of the current team.
“Obviously Parish is a legend, so it’s good to see him out there,” Jaylen Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “He looked good — looks in great shape — so it’s great to have him around. I haven’t gotten to meet him or talk to him, so hopefully next time he comes back, I’ll make it an emphasis to go say hello.”
Midway through the first quarter, the Celtics played a tribute video for Parish. “Chief” chants immediately broke out, and when the jumbotron camera turned to the now 72-year-old, they grew into a roaring ovation.
Parish turned around and stood with both arms extended toward the thousands in attendance, embracing the crowd and the long-lasting respect he holds within the city.
“It was cool to see him,” Jayson Tatum told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I got a chance to chat with him a bit during warmups before the game — to show my respect. It’s always an honor to see the legends of the game and former players that paved the way for us as NBA players and obviously as Celtics players. So as a team, and as fans in the arena, we love when former players come back to the games.”
Seeing the Celtics of the past is nothing new to Tatum or Brown. Throughout their nearly decade-long run together, the two have been exposed to the organization’s royalty from day one. The late, great Tom Heinsohn served as a color commentator for nearly 40 years before his passing in 2020. Brown has frequently spoken highly of his encounters with Bill Russell before his passing in 2022, and this season, the Jays have watched the likes of Dee Brown, Isaiah Thomas, and Robert Parish be celebrated as part of the team’s “Legendary Moments” campaign.
For a moment, Parish stole the spotlight, even during the awaited return of Kristaps Porziņģis. From the moment Parish stepped foot on the court and made his way to his seat, all eyes were on him.
It made Tatum think back to watching Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have their jerseys retired and the reception they received. Now, as a champion and a Celtics legend in the making, Tatum has a deeper understanding of every Boston great who walks through the door.
“I was here when Paul got his number retired. I was here for KG,” Tatum told reporters. “Those were two obviously very special moments and special days, and I feel lucky and honored that I was just around and on the team and got to see and witness that.
“Those guys dedicated a lot to the game of basketball, to this organization, so to see them come back on that night — and other times they do come back — receive the welcome and love and appreciation that they earned and deserve, as a player, I understand what they went through and what goes into being an NBA player. So it’s really cool to see other people receive their flowers and witness it.”
When it was time to celebrate Tatum, Brown, and the 2024 champion Celtics, legends came to pay their respects. Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen, Bob Cousy, and Cedric Maxwell stood by their side as they raised a banner of their own into the rafters and added to the storied history they’ve all helped write. With that torch still in their hands, Tatum and Brown are crafting the latest chapter, turning the once-counted-out Celtics of Opening Night into a title contender and aiming to return to the NBA Finals for the third time in five seasons.
Parish, watching them every step of the way, believes they have what it takes, citing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla as the main reason.
“They have the right coach in place because that’s where it starts — with the coach,” Parish told reporters pregame, per CLNS Media. “And the team has definitely taken on Joe’s personality — that toughness, grinding it out on both ends of the court — take no prisoners. I like the fact that, another area they mirror us in, they play hard, they play smart, and they play together, and I like that.”
Before Wednesday night, Parish said he and Mazzulla had never spoken. They took a few moments to break the ice and introduce themselves before Mazzulla’s pregame press conference.
“Never met the man, I’m just watching him from afar, and the vibe he’s giving off, seeing him on TV, watching him when I’ve been in the building from afar — he’s serious, and I like that. It kind of reminds me of Bill Fitch. That tough love. I like that.”
With Parish watching, Brown delivered a history-making performance, scoring 32 points against the Warriors and surpassing Celtics great Dave Cowens to move into 10th place on Boston’s all-time scoring list with 13,202 points.
“This job isn’t what it is unless the people before us, who left it better than they found it, who compete at the highest level and made it what it is,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “So the ability to make history and get into that is the stepping stone of leaving it better than you found it, of setting the standard for what the people before us have come to represent, and it’s something that he takes seriously.”
