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So how’d that Hornets jersey feel? “Un-com-fortable,” Parish said. “In my mind, I would always be a Celtic. I was very thankful and humbled that the Hornets saw fit to allow me to play a couple more years, but the only time I thought of myself as a Charlotte Hornet was game time. Other than that, when the jersey came off, I still felt like I was a Celtic.”
Parish said he was glad to see that the Celtics found a destination for Pierce and Garnett in which they can compete for a championship. Still, he knows from his Hornets experience that, after 15 years in Boston, it won’t be easy for Pierce to take the court elsewhere.
Parish’s advice: “Just accept the fact that it is going to be awkward initially. That’s all. Because he has worn the Celtics green for so long and it is going to be really awkward for him. But it was time for a change and what I do like about what the Celtics did for Pierce and Garnett, they didn’t send them somewhere to another situation that is not going to be successful. They sent them someplace where they are going to win. Garnett and Pierce have earned that right.”
I forgot that Robert Parish played two seasons for the Charlottte Hornets. I have a vague memory of the Chief sporting a Bulls jersey.
My point is… if you’re still crying about Paul Pierce playing for the Nets, just remember that 1-2 seasons in Brooklyn will never eclipse the 15 years in Boston.
Parish also shared his opinion of Rajon Rondo and behavioral issues:
“Just going by what I have heard, I have heard he has a talent for being difficult,” Parish said. “But you can say that about most of us. I know I had my moments. For me, if I don’t know you, I come across as being aloof and distant if I don’t know you. I am just quiet if I don’t know you. I can be very stoic looking, that’s just my facial expression. I don’t smile a lot. I come across as being arrogant and dismissive, even if that is not the case. I know what it is to be misunderstood. I can’t say for sure that’s the case with Rondo, but I can understand it if it is.”
Now that he is removed from the shadow of Pierce and Garnett, Parish said, Rondo could thrive. That’s what happened to him, after all, when he went from the Warriors to the Celtics, for whom he made nine All-Star teams.
“It turned out to be a good thing,” Parish said, laughing. “Things went real smooth, I had a fine time in Boston. A bad reputation doesn’t mean you can’t fix it. It can happen.”
Wait a minute. NBA players not named Rajon Rondo can be difficult? And players can change their behavior? Fascinating concept.
Parish’s comments got me thinking, who has the better blank stare – Chief or Rajon?
In Parish’s last season in Boston (93-94), he averaged 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in 27 minutes. He was 40. Chew on that.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – C’s out of limelight | Herald – Pierce, Garnett will return in January | CBS Sports – 10 most interesting games on 13-14 schedule | Globe – Celtics open vs Raptors | CSNNE – Report: Sullinger cleared for basketball activity | Top 10 Celtics games in 13-14 | Pierce, KG to return Jan 26 | WWLP – Celtics honoring MA heroes
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