Are you thinking of Robert Parish? He always looked a bit like an indian — stoic, never losing his cool. Many blacks claim to have indian blood.
They called him “The Chief”, didn’t they?
Found online:
Parish was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His nickname was The Chief, after the fictitious Chief Bromden, a silent, giant Native American character in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave him this nickname because of his stoic nature.
Well, like yeah,......that is why his nickname was Chief. Some reports indicate he got the name from the character in One Flew Over The Cookoos Nest.
His nickname was Chief