Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary

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Robert Parish, Boston Celtics. Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images /

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history: No. 53 – Robert Parish

On NBA 50 at 50 List

Career: 1976 – 1997

Achievements: Four-time champion; All-NBA (2x); All-Star (9x); ninth in career rebounds; 11th in career blocks; first in career games played

Some players make this list because of excellence in a short period of time. The careers of players like Bill Walton were cut short due to injury, and another Celtics legend Larry Bird was limited due to chronic back injuries. On the other end of the spectrum, Robert Parish is the banner-holding leader of the group that makes this list in large part due to spectacular longevity.

Parish, known as “The Chief” in Boston, was certainly not just a role player. He made two All-NBA teams in his career and made nine All-Star games. He was a gifted interior scorer and strong rebounder, and a stout interior presence for the Celtics throughout the 1980s.

Yet the longevity is what sets him apart. Parish played in 1,611 career regular-season games, 51 more than Kareem and 301 more than LeBron, the closest active player in 20th place on the all-time list. That helped Parish claim a high standing on a number of career leaderboards, including ninth in career rebounds and 11th in career blocks. He won three titles with the Celtics and then made his way to the Chicago Bulls in 1997 for one last ring in his swan song.