History of the #8 Selection

“The Chief’s” 21-year career was at its pinnacle during his 14 years as the starting Center for the Boston Celtics. Parish won three NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980’s as he teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to form one of the greatest front lines in NBA history. Hall of Famer and Parish’s backup for the Celtic’s 1986 championship team, Bill Walton, has called Parish “the best medium-range shooting big man in the history of the game.” The 1981-1982 season was Parish’s best where he averaged 19.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg, and recorded 192 blocks earning him a spot on the All-NBA Second Team and finishing second to teammate Larry Bird in voting for the league’s Most Valuable Player. Upon retiring in 1997, Parish had won four NBA Championships, made nine All-Star teams, and played in 1611 NBA games, the most in NBA history. In 1996 Parish was named a member of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and in 2003 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Before being selected with the 8th pick in the 1957 draft, Sam Jones found himself choosing between a life as a high school teacher and as a professional basketball player. Luckily Jones chose basketball as his career as he became a crucial member of the Boston Celtics in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Jones was known for his lightning quickness, unorthodox yet accurate bank shot, and his propensity for clutch performances (garnering the nickname “Mr. Clutch”). In Game 7 of the 1962 Eastern Division Finals, Jones hit a game winning jump shot over the outstretched arms of Philadelphia Warrior Center, Wilt Chamberlain. After the game, Chamberlain hailed Jones as the Celtic’s best player. In the NBA Finals of the same year, Jones scored 5 of the Celtic’s 10 overtime points in game 7 to propel the Celtic’s past the Los Angeles Lakers. Over Jones’ career he made 5 All-Star teams, 3 All-NBA 2nd teams, and had an average of 17.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, and 4.9 rpg. Upon retiring, Jones held 11 Celtic records and had won 10 NBA championships in his 12-year career. He was eventually named to the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970), named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996), and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1983).

Jack Sikma was drafted out of a tiny school, Illinois Wesleyan (then part of the NAIA), yet he instantly contributed to the success of the Seattle Supersonics. In Sikma’s rookie year he was honored by being named a part of the All-Rookie Team and helped carry the Sonics to the NBA Finals where they lost in 7 games. The following year the Sonics won the championship as Sikma averaged 14.8 ppg and 10.5 rpg in the playoffs. That same year Sikma was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team, the first of seven straight selections. Sikma was known as a tough defender (1982 All-Defensive Second Team), tenacious rebounder, and skilled shooter. Sikma’s signature inside pivot move which swung him from posting up to facing the basket for a jumper was both effective and so difficult to stop it has become known as the “Sikma move.” Sikma remains the Sonics all-time leader with 7,729 rebounds. In 1992 the Sonics honored Sikma by retiring his jersey (#43).

When you are born in Leverkusen, Germany not many people expect you to become a premier player in the NBA. Nonetheless, Detlef Schrempf became one of the unique talents of his time. Shrempf came to the United State for his senior year of high school and played four years of basketball for the University of Washington before being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks. Versatility was always Shrempf’s strength as his size (6’ 10’’) allowed him to work inside, yet he was also an effective driver, adept passer, and excellent long-range shooter. Shrempf was the foremost outside shooting big man who blazed trails for the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Hedo Turkoglu, and Vladimir Radmanovic. Shrempf’s 14 season career was highlighted by two NBA Sixth Man Awards, three All-Star Game appearances, a spot on the All-NBA 3rd Team and playing a vital role in the Seattle Supersonics NBA Finals run in 1996. Shrempf twice lost the three-point shooting title on the last day of the season and was the runner-up to Larry Bird in the three-point shootout during the 1987 All-Star Weekend. The 1992-93 season was Shrempf’s best as he was the only player in the NBA to finish in the top 25 in scoring (19.1 ppg), rebounding (9.5 rpg), and assists (6.0 apg).

“Tommy Gun” combined with Kevin Johnson in the late 80’s and early 90’s to power the Phoenix Sun’s high-octane offense. Thriving out of the pick-and-roll and on the fast break, Chambers played 16 seasons and has a lifetime average of 18.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg. Chambers was a four time All-Star (87, 89, 90, 91) and was named the MVP of the 1987 All-Star Game. In addition, Chambers was named to the All-NBA 2nd team in 1989 and 1990 when he averaged 25.7 ppg and 27.2 ppg respectively. In 1999 Chambers was inducted into the Phoenix Sun’s “Ring of Honor”.

Tom “Satch” Sanders may not have the gaudiest numbers for a NBA player but he was the ultimate team player. The 6’ 6’’, 210 pound center often found himself mismatched against opposing players yet his heart, durability, and intelligence enabled him to become one of the premier defenders of his time. In his 13-year career, Satch won 8 NBA championships and was named to 1 All-Defense Second team. Satch’s durability enabled him to play 7 seasons of at least 80 games as well as an impressive stretch of 450 consecutive games. Satch’s jersey (#16) has since been retired by the Boston Celtics. Currently Sanders is the NBA’s Vice-President and Director of Player Programs where he designs programs to help both veteran and rookie players take advantage of their unique status as professional athletes and to assist them in coping with the special pressures they face.

Miller has quickly developed into one of the best playmakers in the league. A great dribbler and passer, Miller thrives off penetrating the lane and finding an open teammate. As a rookie Miller was named to the All-Rookie First Team and in 2002 he led the league in assists (882) and assists per game (10.9). Miller just completed his sixth season and over his career he has averaged 14.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 7.4 apg. Miller is currently the starting point guard for the young Denver Nuggets.

The two time All-Ivy League guard out of Princeton, Petrie, was the first draft selection by the Portland Trailblazers in their inaugural year. Petrie was a bright light during Portland’s first six seasons of professional basketball. He led the team in scoring as a rookie with 2,031 points, which makes him one of eight players to top 2,000 points as a rookie (only two other guards). That same year he shared NBA Rookie of the Year honors with future Hall of Famer Dave Cowens. Petrie was known as an incredibly accurate long-range shooter with a quick release, forcing experts to wonder how much greater his point accumulation would have been had three-pointers been a part of the NBA game during his playing tenure. Petrie was twice named to the Western Conference All-Star team and was seventh in the league in scoring during the 1970-71 and 1972-73 seasons. Unfortunately Petrie’s career only lasted six seasons as he suffered a career ending knee injury at the end of the 1975-76 season. Since retiring Petrie’s number has been retired by the Trailblazers and he recently completed his eighth season as president of basketball operations for the Sacramento Kings where he has twice been named NBA Executive of the Year.

Natt was a high-energy small forward known for his toughness. His level of intensity made him a crowd favorite wherever he played. As a rookie he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team averaging 19.9 ppg and 8.9 rpg. His best year was 1985 when he was named to the Western Conference All-Star Team averaging 23.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 3.1 apg over the entire season. The following year Natt’s knees gave out and he never quite came back from the injury.

After spending only one year in college where he was named consensus national Freshman of the Year (97-98), Hughes entered the league with high expectations. However, early on in his career Hughes found himself often losing focus despite his undeniable talent. Nonetheless, Hughes has developed into a very good scorer with great quickness and leaping ability. Recently, Hughes has developed his jumpshot as well as blossoming into one of the best defenders in the league. This past season Hughes led the league in steals, averaging 2.89 spg and was named to the All-Defensive First Team.