On Wednesday afternoon at TD Garden, Robert Parish met with fans at the pro shop, who were there to see the Basketball Hall of Famer and learn more about his book, "The Chief." An hour later, he met with the media.
There, the center that teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to form the franchise's original Big 3, a trio that thrice lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy, compared the culture the Celtics' cultivated while building a dynasty in the '80s to the one established in Boston today.
I asked Robert Parish about the similarities between the Celtics culture of the 80s and today:
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) March 18, 2026
“I think the two eras’ coaching philosophies or whatever you want to call it, mirrors one another. They have the right coach in place.”
“I like the fact that another area they mirror… pic.twitter.com/9FDSE0nsli
"Well, I think the two eras' coaching philosophies, or whatever you want to call it, mirror one another," conveyed Parish. "They have the right coach in place, because that's where it starts with the coach, and the team is definitely taking on Joe's personality. You know, that toughness, grinding out on both ends of the court. Take no prisoners. I like the fact that another area they mirror us in [is] they play hard, they play smart, and they play together. And I like that."
What the Celtics regained through adversity
Between Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear and Boston having to make dramatic roster changes after consecutive campaigns above the second apron, prognosticators projected this would be a gap year for the organization. There was more talk about this team being in the lottery than contending for the NBA title.
However, as Sam Cassell shared, internally, there was confidence in what this group could accomplish. Fast forward, and the Celtics are firmly in the mix among those capable of finishing this season as champions.
What Parish sees is a team that had to regain a part of its identity that has always been essential to its ability to reach the NBA mountaintop.
"Unfortunately, Jayson went down. But don't take this the wrong way, I think it may have been a good thing, because the Celtics right now [have] got their defensive identity back," said Parish. "That's when they won the championship, when they understood the benefits and the rewards of playing defense. And that's what this team is doing now, and I think that's one of the main reasons why they are successful, other than taking on the coach's personality, because he don't take no crap, and these Celtics don't take no crap. So I like that about them."
When asked about Robert Parish's praise of him, Joe Mazzulla, one to deflect complement bouquets, even when they come from a Hall of Famer and franchise icon, credited his players.
"I think, when you have a group of guys that just care about winning, as coaches, you just feed off of what they do," expressed Mazzulla.
The Rhode Island native has made it a point to connect the Celtics of the past with this current era. He has invited team alums to training camp and encouraged them to return to TD Garden.
So what does it mean to Boston's bench boss to receive such lofty recognition from Parish?
To that, Mazzulla responded, "This job wouldn't be what it was if the people before us didn't do what they did, and Robert Parish is at the top of that list."