Robert Parish would have rebuilt then so he's fine with the rebuild now

The Pierce/Garnett/Terry trade of 2013 is going to be the most divisive trade that actually happened in Celtics history. Well… so far.

Danny Ainge went on record last year saying that he wished Red Auerbach had broken up the original Big Three and that had he been calling the shots back then, it would have happened.

One of the members of the original Big Three, Robert Parish, seems to agree with his former teammate.

“I thought they made a great move because Garnett and Pierce only have another year or two of premium basketball left,” said Parish, who was at the Celts’ preseason loss to Minnesota in Montreal as a league ambassador for the NBA Canada Series event. “Danny just pulled the plug while they still had something. It was inevitable. And, besides, I like the fact that when he moved them, he sent them to a contender. I really like that. Granted, they’re in the same division, but still I really like that it showed how he felt about Paul and Garnett. I like that.

“As a player, you’re thinking, if you’re going to move me, at least send me somewhere where I can win a championship.”

Parish, who spent 14 of his 21 NBA seasons at a member of the Boston Celtics, lived through the “few years too long” part of they Celtics dynasty. The injuries to Larry Bird and Kevin McHale kept the Celtics from winning more titles and what they would have brought back to Boston through trades may have secured a more prosperous run for the future.

“On top of that, all our skills were starting to diminish, too, especially Larry and Kevin because of injuries,” said Parish, who is looking to get back in the game in player development. “But for whatever reason, (then GM) Red (Auerbach) decided not to pull the trigger.”

Revisionist history is the best, isn’t it? If trading Bird & McHale would have brought more titles to the city of Boston, would it have been worth it to trade the reasons to follow the team in the first place? And while we’re at it, if Len Bias didn’t overdose, how many titles could have the Celtics won?

While I respect The Chief’s opinion, I am going to disagree for the most selfish reason possible- had the C’s broken up the Big Three, my earliest memory would be of watching some scrubs play rather than Bird, Parish, and McHale at the tail end of their run. There is very little I would trade for that memory. I have a feeling most of Celtics fans feel the same.

Follow Padraic O'Connor on Twitter @padraic_oconnor

Source: Boston Herald; Steve Bulpett