Brian Scalabrine says he's likely retiring
After 11 NBA seasons as a popular and quirky figure as a player, Brian Scalabrine said his playing career is likely over.
Scalabrine told Yahoo! Sports he has turned down a chance to stay with the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach and has agreed to broadcast 11 early season Boston Celtics games for Comcast Sports New England on what he called "a trial run."
Scalabrine had wanted to play another season in the NBA, but conceded, "There was zero interest [in me]. Not some, but zero."
Scalabrine is set to do the color analysis on three preseason and eight regular season Celtics games, as well as some studio work, through January. He left open the possibility of taking a playing job overseas in early 2013. "But being away from my family for that long of a stretch isn't appealing to me, and I think that's probably a small possibility."
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Scalabrine had been a long-shot player his whole life. He had been cut twice as a high school player, and had no scholarship offers until blossoming in junior college. He was a second-round pick of the New Jersey Nets in 2001 and reached the NBA Finals as a player four times: twice with the Nets and twice with the Boston Celtics. He played his final two seasons with the Bulls, where he had a close relationship with coach Tom Thibodeau.
"Saying no to Thibs was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make," Scalabrine said. "I thought it would be great to work with him and the Bulls, but I think a trial run with TV is the way I want to go right now."
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