Tip-Off Timer: Robert Parish Lasted a Record 21 Seasons

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Tuesday, there are 21 days remaining.

There were always better players in the NBA than Robert Parish, but there never was one who played longer than he did.

He was the tortoise of NBA centers, outlasting all those hares who raced ahead of him each season, only to fall by the wayside while he continued to play.

Parish lasted 21 seasons in the NBA -- won four NBA titles, played in seven All-Star Games, was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in league history -- yet he never was considered among the elite in any single season.

His strength was his longevity.

In 21 years, he never was awarded an All-NBA First Team selection. Only once was he put on the second team (1982), and only once did he make the third team (1989). All those other years, he was just another good center who happened to make those around him better.

Early in his career, he was overshadowed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Moses Malone. Then came Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing and David Robinson. And at the end, it was Shaquille O'Neal, who dominated the lane.

Parish not only played more seasons than any of them, he played more NBA games (1,611) than anyone else. Kevin Willis later matched Parish's record of 21 seasons, but he played almost 200 fewer games. Parish holds no single-game or single-season NBA records. His strength always was his endurance, his career.

He never averaged 20 points a game in a season. He never won a rebounding or shot-blocking title. Yet he scored, rebounded and blocks enough shots to help the Celtics to three NBA titles. Flanked by Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in Boston, Parish was a part of arguably the finest front line in league history.

He became the perfect compliment to Bird and McHale, slowing all those more acclaimed centers just enough to let his teammates win the games. His strength was his defense, his versatility, his athleticism that allowed him to beat other centers down court.

He played at least 78 games in 15 of his 21 seasons. He was durable and often unemotional. Nicknamed "The Chief" by teammate Cedric Maxwell for his stoic nature, it always was easy to imagine him sitting at home with his legs crossed, like an Indian chief smoking his peace pipe.

He played his college career at Centenary in virtual obscurity because of NCAA sanctions. He averaged 16.9 rebounds in his four years, yet the NCAA record book does not include him because of the infractions committed by the school.

It was a slight that continued into the NBA, where the Golden State Warriors, the team he started with, traded him to Boston in 1980 in exchange for a first-round draft pick. That pick became Joe Barry Carroll, who played fewer than half as many NBA games as Parish, becoming better known for failed expectations.

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Boston Celtics Photos

Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett, left, and Rasheed Wallace fight for position during NBA basketball practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics Photos

Boston Celtics head coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers speaks to his team at practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce dunks at NBA basketball practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics', left to right, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce take a break from NBA basketball practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics' Ray Allen, left, and Rasheed Wallace react during NBA basketball practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics' Rasheed Wallace laughs during NBA basketball practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics' Glen "Big Baby" Davis takes a break during NBA basketball practice in Waltham, Mass. Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. The Celtics open their preseason on Friday, Oct. 9. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen, center, listens to guard Rajon Rondo, right, with teammate Kendrick Perkins, left, during NBA basketball training camp at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, top, has his right knee examined by Dr. Brian McKeon, the team's surgeon, at a training camp at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. McKeon repaired Garnett's knee during the off-season. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, right, jokes with coach Doc Rivers, left, as Garnett stretches out his right leg during the NBA basketball team's training camp at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)