Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtics center Robert Parish has been ranked above current NBA stars Kyrie Irving and Chris Bosh in a new list of the 100 greatest NBA players of all time. Parish, known for his durable career and key role in multiple Celtics championship teams during the 1980s, secured the No. 68 spot in Bleacher Report’s latest rankings.
Career Highlights and Longevity Define Parish’s Legacy
Robert Parish was an essential figure on three Boston Celtics championship-winning squads and later added a 1997 NBA title with the Chicago Bulls, albeit as a reserve. Standing 7-foot-1 and a product of Centenary College, Parish was a two-time All-NBA honoree whose impact extended far beyond his scoring averages. Despite never averaging 20 points per game, he consistently produced between 17 and 20 points for nearly a decade, showcasing steady offensive contributions.
Parish’s remarkable career spanned 21 seasons, a record at the time, during which he averaged 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game on 53.7 percent shooting. This level of endurance and production in an era with different styles of play sets him apart from many contemporaries and successors alike.
Ranking Context: Surpassing Bosh and Irving
Parish’s ranking ahead of Chris Bosh and Kyrie Irving is notable, especially considering their achievements in modern NBA contexts. Bosh, an 11-time All-Star, won two championships with the Miami Heat and was a versatile offensive and defensive player. Kyrie Irving, a nine-time All-Star and 2016 NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been a critical player in multiple Finals appearances.
While Bosh and Irving brought significant skills and both contributed crucially to their teams’ successes, Parish’s combination of longevity, consistent production, and championship experience give him an edge in this historical evaluation. Parish also managed to contribute across a less three-point oriented, less mobile NBA style, highlighting his adaptability in a distinct era.
Longevity as a Defining Factor in Parish’s Success
Bleacher Report highlights Robert Parish’s exceptional longevity, placing him among a select group of players who have participated in over 20 NBA seasons. This elite club includes LeBron James, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Kevin Willis. Parish’s ability to maintain his performance over such an extended time is framed as inspirational, underscoring endurance as a vital component of greatness.
Though Parish saw his minutes decline toward the end, he wasn’t really an afterthought player until his final year. Pure counting stats were not the Boston Celtics legend’s thing. He never averaged 20 points per game, but he reliably stayed between 17 and 20 for the better part of a decade.
—Bleacher Report
Career Achievements Highlighted by Exceptional Milestones
Besides longevity, Parish reached rare statistical thresholds during his career. His accumulation of over 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 2,000 blocks places him in an exclusive group of all-time greats. Fellow members of this club include Hall of Famers such as Kevin Garnett, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O’Neal, demonstrating Parish’s place among the NBA’s elite history makers.
Playing so long also lends itself to pretty wild career totals. You can futz with the numbers to make this group more exclusive, but overall, Parish is one of eight players to clear at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 2,000 blocks for his career,
Bleacher Report adds.
His company: Garnett, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O’Neal.
—Bleacher Report
Impact of Parish’s Career in Historical NBA Context
Robert Parish’s placement above Kyrie Irving and Chris Bosh in these rankings offers insightful perspective into how longevity, consistency, and era of play shape player legacies. While modern stars like Irving and Bosh benefit from evolving styles emphasizing versatility and skill, Parish’s contributions during a different NBA era continue to resonate in assessing all-time greatness.
As assessments of NBA history evolve, Parish’s ranking reaffirms the enduring value of durability and sustained impact on championship teams. His career serves as a benchmark for evaluating current and future players, where comparing accomplishments must consider not just peak performance but also long-term influence and reliability.