The Cheif Returns to Boston

I was very excited when I learned that Robert Parrish would be attending a signing at Borders on School St in Boston. I had the opportunity to meet “The Chief” when I was much younger and I can’t say the meeting was all too memorable. It took place at a Boston College High School Card Show and my lone memory of that day was a listless Parish moving methodically through a crowd of people signing autographs and collecting money unenthusiastically.

I’m happy to say that my second run in with Robert Parrish was much more memorable. Generally bookstore appearances require that you purchase a set product such as a book or DVD and that you only have that one particular item autographed. In this case, the item was supposed to be the newly released 1985-1986 Boston Celtics DVD Box Set. But unfortunately for Borders and as it turned out fortunately for us fans the DVDs never arrived. So as a result it was determined that anything we could bring to the event we could get signed. A quick five minute walk later, my friend Rob and I had official NBA basketballs and were in line to meet the Hall-of-Famer.

Parrish seemed to be genuinely enjoying his time back in Boston and the opportunity to meet a handful of his many fans. I asked Parrish if he’d been following the NBA and he said he was. Parrish said that he was pulling for the Celtics but if they were eliminated then he likes the Phoenix Suns. I also asked Parrish if he talks to Larry Bird or Kevin McHale and he said that he does but he had not talked to them in the past year.
We finally were able to pose for a picture with Parrish and I told him that I finally was able to feel short next to him. Parrish displayed his booming laugh and said “I’m still waiting to feel short.”