Robert Parish was a legend in Boston, but played his final season with the Bulls and made sure Michael Jordan was not going to bully him. Jon Chase/Associated Press
If there’s anything already evident from the first two episodes of “The Last Dance,” the Michael Jordan documentary chronicling his final season as a member of the Chicago Bulls, it’s that he was not shy about challenging his teammates.
Jordan was a ruthless competitor, and he did not appreciate it when teammates didn’t share in his fierce desire to win.
Former Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish experienced that firsthand when he joined the Bulls for the 1996-97 season. Appearing on the Locked On Celtics podcast, Parish described a practice where his second unit held its own against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the starters.
“I was talking trash to Michael because he and Scottie was enjoying their dominance over the second team, and then when the second team finally got a center that could enhance their abilities, the first team could no longer enjoy dominance over the second team,” Parish said. “So I just wanted to let them know that they’re no longer the king on the block.”
At some point, Parish’s talking didn’t sit well with Jordan.
“He was at half court and I was at the top of the key,” Parish said. “I think he was a bit ticked off, too, because the second team was kicking their butt at the time and I was talking trash.”
According to Parish, play stopped, and the two started jawing at each other.
“I didn’t back down,” Parish said. “He said he would kick my butt, and I told him he felt that strongly about it, come and get some. That was the end of it. We didn’t have another confrontation.”
Parish, who trained in the martial arts, was confident in his abilities should things have gotten out of control. Fortunately for everyone involved, it didn’t escalate.
“Michael has a tendency to test his teammates, especially the new faces on the team,” he said. “I think it was more of a test than a threat. He was testing my reaction to his being a bully. … I didn’t read anything into it. I think it was just a test to see how I would respond.”
Parish finished his Hall of Fame career in Chicago, playing 43 games in his final season and winning his fourth championship. He finished his career as the NBA’s all-time leader in minutes played.
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