10 best players to ever suit up for the Golden State Warriors

No. 6: Robert Parish

To this point on the list, the players that have been featured have played the bulk of their careers on the Warriors. We make a pivot here for Robert Parish, a 7’1″ center who logged 21 years in the NBA and played just four of those seasons for the Golden State Warriors.

“The Chief” was drafted eighth overall in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Warriors and eased his way into first a rotation role, then a starting one. In four seasons with the Dubs, he averaged 13.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, with his best season coming in 1978-79: 17.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.9 blocks per game.

In the summer of 1980, the Warriors then made a fateful trade, sending Parish and the No. 3 pick to the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 and No. 13 picks. The Warriors would use the top pick on Joe Barry Carroll, a one-time All-Star at center, and the 13th pick on another center, Rickey Brown, who never became a starter and was out of the league in five years. The Celtics drafted Kevin McHale with the third pick.

Parish thrived in Boston, becoming an All-Star in his first season and nine times total over the next 14 seasons with the Celtics. He was a part of one of the best teams in league history, the 1986 Boston Celtics, and together with McHale and Larry Bird formed what is probably the best frontcourt to ever be on the same team.

Parish won three titles with the Celtics and another in his final season as a backup on the Chicago Bulls in 1997. His longevity pushed him high on a number of leaderboards; he ranks 30th in career scoring, ninth in career rebounds, 11th in career blocks and first in career games. The Hall of Fame center was only with the Warriors to start his career, but it was quite an impressive career when all was said and done.