Robert Parish considered giving up on his Hall of Fame career before it really got started.

That was the long-held secret the former Celtics center revealed prior to his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday. Parish was handed his commemorative black jacket at a morning press conference and was officially inducted during the enshrinement ceremony in the early evening.

Joining Parish in the Hall of Fame Class of 2003 was former adversary James Worthy of the Los Angeles Lakers, Louisiana Tech women's coach Leon Barmore, deceased Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn, Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon, Syracuse Nationals forward Earl Lloyd and international star Dino Meneghin of Italy.

Parish's early NBA career floundered during his four years with the Golden State Warriors after an All-America college career at Centenary. Parish said he was on the verge of taking the long walk prior to the 1980-81 season when he found out he had been traded to Boston along with the No. 3 pick for two first-round picks.

``Nobody knows this, this is the first time I ever talked about it, but after my fourth year with the Warriors, I was entertaining thoughts of retiring,'' said Parish. ``I was contemplating retiring because I was losing my passion for the game. ``I didn't enjoy playing and the guys I played with were very selfish and individualistic. We weren't playing as a team, we weren't going anywhere, so I thought about giving it up.

``Once I got traded, I felt rejuvenated, with a new lease on life. It was a shot in the arm and I needed that. That change recharged my batteries. If that trade hadn't been made, I wouldn't have played 21 years. Not even close. I don't think I would have made 10 years, never mind 21.''

Larry Bird was one year into his NBA career when Parish arrived in Boston along with University of Minnesota power forward Kevin McHale, who was the third pick in the 1980 draft. They would grow to become the famed Big 3, and the Celtics would dominate the local sports scene throughout the 1980s. Because he enjoyed an extended career, Parish is the last member of the trio to be enshrined in Springfield.

``I'm very proud of this honor and I'm glad that we, the Big 3, accomplished this honor because we are all deserving,'' said Parish. ``I'm very proud to be in here with the Big 3 and the elite company. To be a part of this fraternity is a privilege.''