New York Knicks: All-time greatest players selected 8th overall

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BOSTON, MA – CIRCA 1982: Tree Rollins #30 of the Atlanta Hawks shoots over Robert Parish #00 of the Boston Celtics during an NBA basketball game circa 1982 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

2) Best 8th overall picks: Robert Parish

The Chief!

Hall-of-Famer Robert Parish is second on our list of great players selected 8th overall. He was drafted in 1976 by the Golden State Warriors and would end up playing a glorious 21-year career in the NBA, becoming most famous for his time with the Boston Celtics.

Parish was a 9-time All Star, 4-time All-NBA selection, and won four NBA championships by the time he hung up his sneakers. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Ironically, the 7-foot-1 big man was acquired by Boston in a trade that included the first overall pick in the 1980 draft. Boston traded that pick to Golden State for Parish and the third overall pick that became Kevin McHale.

Selected ahead of Parish in 1976 were several busts, including Scott May (2nd), Richard Washington (3rd), Leon Douglas (4th), and Wally Walker (5th). Hall-of-Famer Adrian Dantley (6th) was the next best pick in the 1976 draft.

Parish has played in more games (1,611) than any player in NBA history, while also accumulating the 32nd most points (23,334), 9th most rebounds (14,715), and 11th most blocks (2,361).

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