Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1997, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His nickname was "The Chief", after the mute Native American in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo`s Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave Parish this nickname because of his stoic nature.

After college, Parish was drafted in the first round of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, before being sent to the Boston Celtics. He had also been drafted by the Utah Stars in the 1973 ABA Special Circumstances draft and by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1975 ABA Draft. Parish signed with the Warriors. He compared his transition from Golden State to Boston in a televised quote where he jokingly said it was like going from an outhouse to a penthouse. Playing 14 years with the Celtics from 1980 to 1994, Parish won three NBA titles (1981, 1984 and 1986) teaming with legendary small forward Larry Bird and power forward Kevin McHale. Parish, Bird and McHale came to be known as "The Big Three". All three members of the "Big Three" were named by the NBA to the NBA`s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and are regarded as one of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history.