Whenever discussing the legacy of Robert Parish , his relentless defensive and rebounding efforts are well acknowledged. They helped the Boston Celtics feature in five consecutive finals and lift three championships in six years. Even though he was a capable big man who was almost impossible to be bullied around, the most underappreciated facet of his game to this date remains his trademark offensive weapon - the high-arching jumper.
Despite its seemingly errant trajectory, this shot frequently found its mark, becoming Parish’s go-to move every time he needed to score. In recognition of this skill, the nine-time All-Star credited his 5’2” junior high school basketball coach for deploying all unconventional means to develop his unique shot.
How did Parish perfect his weapon
Throughout his illustrious 21-year NBA career, the 7’1” center may not have been considered a threat from long-range, primarily due to the era’s expectation for big men to be assertive in the paint. Nevertheless, The Chief dominated with remarkable efficiency, knocking 53.7% of his two-point attempts. This rate could have been even higher if not for tenures with the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls.
During his 14-season stint with the Celtics, Parish knocked 55.2% of his 2-pointers, effortlessly shooting his jumper over taller and more athletic centers.
During his appearance on ‘In The Post with Elvin Hayes’ Podcast, the nine-time All-Star credited the efforts of his short-heightened junior high school basketball coach for using unconventional means to develop and perfect his high-arching jumper.
"My junior high school coach was 5-foot-2," Parish said, as per SportsCasting . "He had me shooting over the handle that’s in a push broom. He had me shooting over the handle that came out of a push broom. And that’s how I developed that high-arcing shot because I had to shoot over two broom handles that were taped together. So, he always told me that the reason why I should have arc on my shot... because one day I was going to play against someone my size, and I was going to have to be able to get my shot off against another seven-footer."
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Parish was efficient despite his limited offensive role
The four-time NBA champion understood that for his tandem with Larry Bird to succeed, he wouldn’t have as many opportunities to shoot the ball. Despite averaging only 12.3 two-pointers per game during his tenure with the Celtics, he maintained a higher shooting efficiency than Bird, who averaged 17.4 two-pointers and shot 50.4%.
Having said that, It is remarkable to contemplate now that he knew these unconventional methods of using broomsticks and tape to refine Parish’s high-arching jumper would eventually help contribute to the most decorated franchise’s continued dominance in the ‘80s.
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