Robert Parish played his final NBA season with the Chicago Bulls . Already 43 years old at that time, Parish's real function on the team was to mentor their young bigs - Jason Caffey and Dickey Simpkins. He also had a cameo role on the team, appearing in 43 games and averaging nine minutes per contest.
Even though it was short-lived, Parish's best story during his tenure as a Bull was when he and Michael Jordan trash-talked each other during practice, with the former Boston Celtics center showing the future GOAT that he wasn't intimidated.
"Phil used to mix and match the different lineups because, similar to us, they scrimmage every day," Parish told former Celtics teammate Cedric Maxwell in a recent interview. "And so first he had me playing with Michael and Scottie and Dennis. And then Luc Longley was on the second unit, and then they put Longley on the first unit, put me on the second unit. So we stepped in their a—s like four straight games. So I said, 'Scottie, Michael, how did that a– whoopin' feel?' And Michael took it personally."
Long before playing for the Bulls, Parish was one-third of arguably the best frontcourt in NBA history, along with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. The trio led the Celtics to five NBA Finals appearances during the 80s decade, where they won a total of three championships. But after Bird and McHale retired one after the other, a 41-year-old Parish left Boston to play for the Charlotte Hornets , backing up Alonzo Mourning.
After two seasons in Charlotte, he signed with the Bulls, becoming the league's oldest player. When he arrived in Chicago, the team had just won its fourth NBA title, and Jordan had cemented his status as the best player in the game. However, if MJ was able to trash-talk his teammates in practice without anyone saying anything back, Parish let him know he wasn't awed by his presence.
"I was like, 'If you feel strongly about it, you can come over and get some,'" Parish added. "I said, 'Do you realize who I played with? I played with the baddest motherf—s in the NBA. I went with Larry, Kevin, Cedric, Bill Walton and Tiny Archibald, and I'm supposed to be in awe and impressed with you?' I was like, 'Man, get the f–k out of here.' That's what I told him."
In his new memoir "The Chief" , which he co-wrote with Jae Uitti, via Hoopshype , Parish explained that many people misinterpreted that incident as a confrontation, even a conflict between him and Jordan. However, it was purely trash-talking within the game between two people who had genuine respect for each other.
"I'd played with three of the baddest men ever: Larry, Kevin, and William. So, I wasn't genuflecting to Michael Jordan. He's a badass man, don't get me wrong. But I balled with some of the best, too," he wrote.
As Parish mentioned in his book, he was a quiet guy, but that final NBA season, he came out of his shell and started talking. Somehow, that was a blessing in disguise for the Bulls, too, because, as "Chief" said in another interview, MJ didn't really respect his teammates while demanding perfection from them. After showing Mike that not everybody genuflects to him, he became a better teammate and a leader. And somehow, that helped them win two more NBA titles.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
