Although careers are getting longer and longer, with the recent examples of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter or now LeBron James, no one has yet dethroned Robert Parish in NBA appearances.
Nicknamed “The Chief”, the former pivot of Boston has been of impressive regularity: 20 seasons with at least 72 games played! In 1995/96, he played for the Hornets and, on April 6, 1996, against Cleveland, he played his 1,561st career game, one more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This is then a new record.
And Robert Parish, holder at the end of the year despite his… 42 years, makes a very honorable copy for a player of his age. Neither more nor less than one of the best of his season: 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks (in 39 minutes!).
LeBron James chasing him?
The future Hall of Famer will join the Bulls the following summer, to play his 21st (and final) year in the league, incidentally the most economical with only 43 games. But during his last career appearance, on April 19, 1997, he was still 43 years and 232 days old!
Robert Parish will also end this campaign with a fourth championship ring around his finger, after the three he had won with the Celtics (1981, 1984 and 1986), as well as a record of 1,611 caps in the season. regular (not counting his 184 in the playoffs).
A real Everest, because the active player closest to this number is obviously LeBron James with 1,419 games played (9th), or 192 behind. To surpass “The Chief”, the calculation is therefore very simple: the current Lakers superstar would need to play three full seasons without missing a single game (out of the 82)!
Not impossible, but not an easy task…
| Robert Parish | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 1976-77 | GOS | 77 | 18 | 50.3 | 70.8 | 2.6 | 4.4 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 9.1 | ||
| 1977-78 | GOS | 82 | 24 | 47.2 | 62.5 | 2.6 | 5.7 | 8.3 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 12.5 | |
| 1978-79 | GOS | 76 | 32 | 49.9 | 69.8 | 3.5 | 8.6 | 12.1 | 1.5 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 17.2 | |
| 1979-80 | GOS | 72 | 29 | 50.7 | 0.0 | 71.5 | 3.4 | 7.4 | 10.9 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 17.0 |
| 1980-81 | BOS | 82 | 28 | 54.5 | 0.0 | 71.0 | 3.0 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 18.9 |
| 1981-82 | BOS | 80 | 32 | 54.2 | 0.0 | 71.0 | 3.6 | 7.2 | 10.8 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 19.9 |
| 1982-83 | BOS | 78 | 32 | 55.0 | 0.0 | 69.8 | 3.3 | 7.3 | 10.6 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 19.4 |
| 1983-84 | BOS | 80 | 36 | 54.6 | 0.0 | 74.5 | 3.0 | 7.7 | 10.7 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 19.0 |
| 1984-85 | BOS | 79 | 36 | 54.2 | 0.0 | 74.3 | 3.3 | 7.3 | 10.6 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 17.7 |
| 1985-86 | BOS | 81 | 32 | 54.9 | 0.0 | 73.1 | 3.0 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 16.1 |
| 1986-87 | BOS | 80 | 37 | 55.6 | 0.0 | 73.8 | 3.2 | 7.5 | 10.6 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 17.6 |
| 1987-88 | BOS | 74 | 31 | 58.9 | 0.0 | 73.4 | 2.3 | 6.2 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 14.3 |
| 1988-89 | BOS | 80 | 36 | 57.0 | 0.0 | 71.9 | 4.3 | 8.2 | 12.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 18.6 |
| 1989-90 | BOS | 79 | 30 | 58.0 | 0.0 | 74.7 | 3.3 | 6.8 | 10.1 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 15.7 |
| 1990-91 | BOS | 81 | 30 | 59.8 | 0.0 | 76.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.6 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 14.9 |
| 1991-92 | BOS | 79 | 29 | 53.5 | 0.0 | 77.2 | 2.8 | 6.2 | 8.9 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 14.1 |
| 1992-93 | BOS | 79 | 27 | 53.5 | 0.0 | 68.9 | 3.1 | 6.3 | 9.4 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 12.6 |
| 1993-94 | BOS | 74 | 27 | 49.1 | 0.0 | 74.0 | 1.9 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 11.7 |
| 1994-95 | CHA | 81 | 17 | 42.7 | 0.0 | 70.3 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 4.8 |
| 1995-96 | CHA | 74 | 15 | 49.8 | 0.0 | 70.4 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3.9 |
| 1996-97 | CHI | 43 | 9 | 49.0 | 0.0 | 67.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 3.7 |
| Total | 1611 | 28 | 53.7 | 0.0 | 72.1 | 2.9 | 6.3 | 9.1 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 14.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
