Robert Parish shares thoughts on current Celtics, Joe Mazzulla, and his new book

BOSTON — History and the Boston Celtics are synonymous. There is no Celtics organization without the players, coaches, and people who helped create the legacy we know today.

Robert Parishis one of those people.

The NBA Hall-of-Famer returned to Boston on Wednesday night for the Celtics’ game against the Golden State Warriors. He was never the most outspoken player, but now, he’s ready to share more about his off-the-court self.

Parish is releasing a memoir titled ‘The Chief,’ which will document his life story on and off the hardwood. From childhood to his days in the NBA and beyond.

What sparked this decision? A change in perspective.

“I'm a better person, first of all,” Parish said of what’s changed since his retirement. “I'm not as hard. I'm not as distant and dismissive as I used to be. So, that's one of the reasons why I thought it was time to do the memoir. Because I feel like I am softer. I'm not as anti-people as I used to be. So, I got to give my woman some love for that. She has definitely softened me up.

“So, that's why I feel like it was time to see through that window [of] who and what I am as a person, because a lot of people know about my accomplishments on the basketball court, but to give everybody a picture, a window, a glimpse [at] who I am as a person.”

Parish was a nine-time All-Star in Boston. He won three NBA Championships with the Celtics and is the NBA’s all-time leader in total games played at 1,611.

The Chief was a core member of one of the most iconic eras of Celtics basketball, and he sees a little bit of that squad in the current Boston group.

And he sees Joe Mazzullaas the main reason why.

“I think the two eras, coaching philosophies, or whatever you want to call it, mirror one another,” Parish said. “They have the right coach in place, because that's where it starts: With the coach. 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.”

Parish met Mazzulla for the first time on Wednesday. After Parish spoke to reporters, Mazzulla introduced himself, and the two shared a small chat.

But before he even met the four-year Celtics head coach, Parish had all the respect in the world for the job he’s been doing.

“Never met the man. I'm just watching him from afar. And the vibe that he's giving off, seeing him on TV, and watching him when I've been in the building, watching him from afar, he's serious,” Parish said. “And I like that.

“Kind of reminds me of Bill Fitch. That tough love. I like that. Even though, obviously, he has people skills. Because if he didn't have the people skills, I don't think his players would buy into his philosophy, his concept, the way that they have. So, I definitely think Joe has people skills, because I think it's very important to give those guys that don't play a lot, give them some love.

“Make them feel important, make them feel wanted, make them feel like they're going to contribute at some point, so stay ready. It seems like these guys realize, and it appears that Joe subscribes to this philosophy: Don't give me a reason not to play you. And those guys seem to stay ready, one through 13. Everybody comes in and contributes, and there's no drop-off when the bench comes into the game. And I like and respect that.”

And Parish’s love for Mazzulla’s was taken to another level when he learned a new fun fact about the Celtics head coach.

Parish was informed that Mazzulla is a fan and practicing participant in martial arts. Immediately, his eyes lit up.

“I was not aware of that. That Mr. Mazzulla was studying the arts,” Parish said. “But that explains why he, excuse my language, don't take no shit. That would explain it, because one thing the art teaches you is that you can walk away. It teaches you to try to walk away first, because you have the confidence to handle yourself, and the skills that you can take care of yourself. And so, that would explain that tough persona that he gives off, because when you know that, most people, you can kick their butts, you got a certain arrogance about you, and confidence. And I'm speaking from experience. Because I can take care of myself.

“And that's one of the reasons why people have a tendency [to say that] he's arrogant, he's dismissive, he's distant. Martial arts. Only time I take shit when I choose to. And the martial arts allow you to do that, because you know you can take care of yourself. It gives you that confidence. That air about yourself. You give off that vibe.”

It’s been a team effort in Boston this season. Jaylen Brown led the way as Jayson Tatumrecovered from his ruptured Achilles, but a byproduct of that was the Celtics changing their identity.

At least, a little bit.

That’s how Parish saw it.

Though Tatum’s injury obviously put the Celtics a step behind the eight-ball, Parish believes the entire process helped them rediscover the defensive identity that has, historically, brought the organization success.

“The Celtics, right now, got their defensive identity back,” Parish said. “And that's when they won the championship. When they understood the benefits and the rewards of playing defense. And that's what this team is doing now. And I think that's one of the main reasons why they are successful, other than taking on the coach's personality. Because he don't take no crap, and these Celtics don't take no crap. So, I like that about them.”

That said, Parish still doesn’t see this generation’s Celtics group—the Tatum and Brown-led squad—taking down his beloved 1986 championship team.

But maybe not for the reason most people would assume.

“I'm gonna say the '86 Celtics for this reason: Nobody had an answer for Bill Walton.,” Parish said when asked who would win. “The NBA did not have an answer for Bill Walton, and that's why we were successful, the 86 team, and that's why we are considered one of the all-time best teams. Bill Walton made the difference. No doubt. Hands down. Because today's Celtics, they couldn't do nothing with William. Not a thing.”

Still, this year’s Celtics have a chance to do something special. With Tatum healthy and Brown playing at as high a level as ever, there’s definitely something brewing in Boston.

But it’s not just about those two. It’s not even just about Mazzulla. It’s about the entire roster.

The current group perfectly reflects what made the 80s Celtics so special.

At least, that’s how Parish sees it.

“Well, a lot of it's got to do with attitude,” Parish said when asked what made his Celtics team so successful. “We all bought into this philosophy. You're playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back of the jersey. And I think we all bought into that. We checked our egos at the door. And I think that's paramount. We [were] always on the same page. We wanted to win a championship, and we know we wasn't going to win a championship, or championships, playing like individuals. We got to do it from a team perspective, and it started with our leader. Larry checked this ego at the door. So, if our leader can check his ego, clearly, the rest of us can check our egos. And that's where it starts, with the leader.

“And I think that, as I said before, that's one thing I like about today's Celtics. They win collectively. There's not one person doing the work. They're winning and being successful collectively. They're doing it as a team, and I respect that.”

More small tidbits from Parish

On Bill Walton’s TV career: “I like the fact that he addressed the stuttering issue, as you all know, that he stuttered heavily when he was an active player. And he addressed that speech problem that he had. So, once I realized- First of all, when I first saw him on TV, I was like, 'Oh no. No he didn't.' But then I realized that he had worked on that speech impediment that he had. And he actually was doing a great job. He really was.”

On the historic Celtics vs. 76ers rivalries in the 80s: “I thought it was great, not only for the conference, but for the NBA, to have those type of rivalries. We [were] both struggling and battling, trying to establish dominance over the other, and dominance in the league. So, I thought it was very good in terms of making us better, because they were the standard in the East, along with us, [of] who's the best team. And also, we paid attention to what the Lakers was doing. We measured ourselves by what the Lakers were doing, what 76 years was doing, because of who they were and how they played the game. It was always a good way to measure yourself. What you need to work on, where you need to get better at. Do we have a chance of winning it? Because they had a similar philosophy that we did. If you're not talking about championships, what are we talking about?”

On the difference between today’s NBA vs. back in the day: “Well, the game has changed. The NBA has legislated most of the physicality out of the game, so players got more freedom to roam. And I think the defense suffers a little bit, because you can't put hands on anybody. Guys got all kind of freedom of movement now. And then, if you get a hard foul, you may be suspended, shoot, for months in today's NBA. When we was balling, it was commonplace to have a hard foul. Now, you can't do that without some serious consequences. So, that's the big difference that I see in today's NBA [versus] when I was playing.”

On his time in Oakland with the Warriors: “Oh, it was a growing process for me. A learning process for me. I realized my first three or four years in the Bay Area [that] I needed to get better. My game wasn't NBA-ready, and I needed to get better. And I had a chance to do that. And by the time I came to the Celtics, I feel like my game had- I [had] always been a strong defensive ball player, but I feel like my offense had finally caught up with my defense, and that's why I say my game was finally NBA-ready when I came to the Celtics.”