The Man. The Myth. The Legend.
…He’s back! The White Mamba is making his triumphant to the basketball court.
Earlier today The BIG3, Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 basketball league featuring retired NBA stars as players and coaches, announced that Brian Scalabrine is among the latest signings to their draft pool. Scalabrine retired from the NBA in 2012 after an 11-year career with three teams. He won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and spent his final two seasons with the Chicago Bulls.
After retiring, Scal turned down the Bulls’ offer to become an assistant coach. Instead, he decided to begin his career as a broadcaster with CSN New England covering his beloved Celtics. He also had a short stint working as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors and their D-League affiliate.
Chicago Legacy
Despite averaging just 4.6 minutes per game in 46 appearances spanning his two seasons with the Bulls, Scalabrine quickly became a fan favorite in Chicago. “White Mamba” t-shirts flew off the shelves. Memes depicting him as a superhero and last-second savior took over the internet. Fans at the United Center would loudly chant “SCAL-A-BREE-NEE!” late in 4th quarters, imploring coach Tom Thibodeau to give the veteran some garbage time minutes. When the fans got their wish, the Madhouse erupted in cheers as Scal checked in. If he scored a basket or dished out an assist, the roof came off.
Scalabrine and other retired NBA players will attend the BIG3’s combine in April. After the combine, the league will have a draft in which each of the eight teams will fill out the remainder of their 5-man rosters. The league will play games in ten different cities across the country.
There’s no doubt Scalabrine will impress at the combine. It’s unclear right now how the order of the draft will be determined, but whichever team lucks into the #1 pick has a no-brainer choice. Who doesn’t take The White Mamba?
Welcome back to the hardwood, Scal. Go get ’em!
