ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 5, 1996 TAG: 9604050079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: Associated Press
ROBERT PARISH IS STILL going strong with the Charlotte Hornets 20 years after entering the NBA.
At age 23 and fresh out of college, Robert Parish set what he considered a lofty goal for his NBA career.
``Ten years,'' he said, smiling and slowly shaking his head as he chuckled at the memory of his short-sighted vision. ``I thought if I could play 10 years in the league, it would be a great career - more than I could ever hope for in my wildest dreams.''
Ten seasons has turned into 20, and tonight Parish can tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for career games played. When the Charlotte Hornets center takes the court against the Chicago Bulls, he will be appearing in his 1,560th contest.
``I'm trying to downplay all this,'' said Parish, now a 42-year-old grandfather whose hair is flecked with gray. ``I'm just trying to keep it as low-key as possible. It's difficult for a 7-footer to be in the background. But I try to do it as much as I can.''
Parish was rarely in the background in 14 seasons with the Boston Celtics, a team he joined in a trade after spending his first four years in the league with Golden State. Parish was a mainstay in the middle for a Boston team that made 13 consecutive playoff appearances, earned five berths in the NBA Finals and won three league titles.
Now in his second season in Charlotte, Parish recently has found himself back in the starting lineup as the Hornets fight for a playoff spot.
How long can he continue? Parish, who will be 43 in August, said that's a question he'll ponder this summer. One of the factors he said will come into play is his contract status.
``Next year's an option year - the team's option - so I don't know what direction they're going to be headed in,'' he said. ``I don't know whether I'm included in their future or not.''
``I'm sure he'll end up playing next year,'' Charlotte coach Allan Bristow said. ``I don't think he's going to just play five or six games past the record and then say, `Well, I've got the record, so that's it.' ''
Told of Bristow's remarks, Parish smiled.
``I definitely appreciate the endorsement,'' he said. ``Definitely I would like to play. I just haven't made a decision about playing. It's not concrete yet.''
Parish has started 15 consecutive games as part of Bristow's switch to a two-center lineup, a move that has given Charlotte a boost in its bid to grab the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Parish has come up with some big games during the run, including 17 rebounds against Phoenix and a 14-rebound, seven-block performance that helped the Hornets beat the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week.
``What I've tried to do is maintain what I have,'' Parish said. ``Obviously my skill level has eroded. I'm not the same player. So I just try to keep myself sharp.''
One key is a well-planned diet. Another is year-round conditioning.
``I don't allow myself to get out of shape,'' said Parish, whose off-season workout routine includes two forms of martial arts, weight lifting and running - but no basketball.
``I don't pick up a basketball from the time the season ends until about two weeks before training camp,'' he said. ``It helps keep me fresh.''
The Hornets originally acquired Parish with the idea that his work ethic would rub off on Alonzo Mourning, but Mourning was traded at the start of the season. Since then, Parish has been working with Charlotte's other two centers, Matt Geiger and rookie George Zidek.
``He's probably had more of an influence on me than anyone in my career,'' said Geiger, a fourth-year pro whose numbers have improved markedly since he joined the Hornets. ``Robert's helped me not just on the court, but in the whole area of conditioning and diet, things like that.''
Parish's appreciation extends beyond the locker room. He is an extremely popular figure at the Charlotte Coliseum, where choruses of ``Chief'' begin the moment he rises from the bench and crescendo when he makes a big play. He got the nickname from former Boston teammate Cedric Maxwell, who said Parish reminded him of Chief Bromden in the movie, ``One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.''
``Those were good times, but these are good, too. Some of my fondest memories are with the Hornets,'' Parish said. ``Hey, I still enjoy it for some reason. I find it amazing myself that I still enjoy it. What's really amazing is that somebody still wants me.''
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Charlotte center Robert Parish has spent 20 years inby CNBthe NBA. After all that time, Parish says, ``I find it amazing
myself that I still enjoy it. What's really amazing is that somebody
still wants me.'' color.