Last week there was no movement on The RBSF Ladder as Bruins Hall of Famer Cam Neely held off the challenge of Patriots Hall of Famer Andre Tippettt. This week features a battle of two players who have been linked nearly their entire careers in a challenge featuring a pair of Celtics legends: #22 Kevin McHale hopes to break into the Top 20 by taking on #18 Robert Parish. A look at this week’s contestants…
PARISH: Played 14 seasons (1980-94) with Celtics. 3-time NBA Champion (1981, ’84 & ’86). 9-time NBA All Star. 2nd Team All-NBA and 3rd Team All-NBA once each. Top 10 in MVP voting twice. Celtics regular season career averages: 16.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.54 blocks, .552 FG% and .730 FT% in 1,106 games. Celtics playoff career averages of 16.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.74 blocks, .508 FG% and .722 FT% in 168 games. Finished Top 10 in NBA in: rebounds per game (8x), offensive rebounds (8x), defensive rebounds (7x), rebounds (7x), field goal percentage (6x) and blocks per game (2x). Among Celtics all-time leaders in: Blocks (1), Games (2), Rebounds (2), Minutes (3), Field Goals (3), FG % (3), Steals (3), Points (3), Rebounds per Game (4), Field Goal Attempts (5), Free Throws (6) and Free Throw Attempts (6). Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. His #00 is retired by the Celtics.
McHALE: Played entire 13-year career (1980-93) with Celtics. 3-titme NBA Champion (1981, ’84 & ’86). 7-time NBA All Star selection. 1st Team All-NBA in 1987. Top 10 in MVP voting once. 2-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1984, ’85). All Rookie 1st Team (1980). All-NBA Defensive 1st and 2nd Teams 3-times each. Celtics regular season career averages: 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.74 blocks, .554 FG%, .798 FT% in 971 games. Celtics playoff career averages of 18.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.66 blocks, .561 FG% and .788 FT% in 169 games. Led NBA in FG% in 1987 & 1988. Finished Top 10 in NBA in: field goal percentage (7x), blocks per game (5x), blocks (4x), points and points per game (once each). 1st NBA player to ever have FG% over 60% and FT% over 80% in same season (1987). Among Celtics all-time leaders in Blocks per Game (1), Blocks (2), Games (3), Points (4) and Rebounds (6). Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. His #32 is retired by the Celtics.
VERDICT: It is almost impossible to pick between these members of the original Big 3. Their All Star selections are nearly identical, as was their contributions to 3 NBA Champions. Parish punched Laimbeer, McHale clotheslined Rambis. I am basing my vote this week, which is for McHale, merely on the fact that he played his entire career in Boston, whereas The Chief had other stops both before and after his days as a Celtic. Otherwise, if both had played their entire careers in Boston, I think you’d be looking at a draw.
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3 comments:
I will say that playing your entire career in Boston is not a huge factor (in case anyone tries to use this against me down the road), but it is a good tie-breaker and Parish vs McHale is a draw in my book.
...and I realize that I have so many numbers up there it probably didn't make things any easier tot decipher.
Again with the tough challenge. Not only are both gus from my lifetime but both played for the same great team. Like DK i would like to call this a draw. Since a tie isnt an option i'm making my pick for Parish. My tie breaker is that Parish is still an active consultant with the Celtics.
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