Considering the Boston Celtics made four straight appearances in the NBA Finals and won three championships during the 1980s, it would be natural to assume that their stars - Larry Bird and Robert Parish - shared a deep brotherhood that held the fortress together; however, according to veteran sportswriter Bob Ryan that wasn't always the case.
In fact, during a particularly tense period involving "The Chief's" contract dispute , their relationship strained so badly that the Indiana native wouldn't have minded if the 7'1" center decided to walk away from the team altogether.
Parish, well aware of his value and significance in the Celtics team, was unhappy earning just $650,000 annually despite being one of the dominant traditional big men of that era. So, ahead of the 1983-84 season, the nine-time All-Star's disdain began showing when he started taking certain measures like missing the team's preseason trip to the West Coast.
However, what stirred Parish's frustration even more was that Larry, who held such a significant voice in the organization, showed no sign of having his back.
According to Ryan, that tension escalated to such an extent that when Julius Erving's infamous brawl with "Larry Legend" took place in November 1984. One of the biggest reasons why Parish walked away from it rather than defending his star forward was because he, too, wanted to make him realize how it felt like to be left alone.
So, as that disconnect became apparent to the three-time MVP, he grew so frustrated that he immediately signaled the rest of the team that they could win, even if the four-time NBA champion decided to part ways with the team.
"He was saying in reference to Robert holding out, 'If he doesn't want to be here, that's too bad, but we've got enough of the bench, so we can do without him.' Which is not really a sound evaluation of talent in my mind, " Ryan said. "They're one of the few times I ever questioned Larry's acumen on basketball. But anyway, he said that, and it's been validated."
On the other hand, while Ryan did acknowledge the 12-time All-Star's long-term respect for Parish's role in Boston's success, he also uncovered lingering tension years later. During the lead-up to the opening of the Larry Bird Museum, Ryan was tasked with interviewing former legends.
Surprisingly, he was informed that the two-time Finals MVP wasn't in favor of Parish being included. Though Ryan admitted he never quite understood the full extent of their issues, it became evident that their relationship wasn't nearly as close as many fans had once believed.
It's safe to assert that while legendary dynasties are built on rock-solid camaraderie on the hardwood, the harmony doesn't always extend off it. Maybe for both Bird and Parish, their shared goal of becoming winners was far greater than those gritty affairs and that is why they were able to get past them. Also, conflicts between superstars are very common, and most are able to overcome them so they can reach the common goal, which is to win a championship.
