In 2001, the New Jersey Nets drafted 6’9” forward Brian Scalabrine in the second round. Before making it to the NBA, Scalabrine wasn’t among the top-ranked prospects in the country. Thus, he needed some motivation to realize his pro dreams. And what better way to get some encouragement than being Michael Jordan’s running mate for a week?
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During an interaction with Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike on DIRECTV, Scalabrine recalled how MJ triggered his pro journey. When Scal was a high schooler, he used to visit Jordan’s training camps in Santa Barbara.
During one of the camps, MJ was searching for a teammate for open runs. He selected Scalabrine at the behest of basketball recruit George Raveling. Hooping alongside his idol for a week provided the required confidence boost to the White Mamba, who started believing he could make it to the NBA.
The fact that Jordan retained him as his teammate for such a long time lit up a spark in a young Scalabrine, who told Ogwumike,
“There was a guy who used to cover my games called George Raveling. I heard Mike go up to George and say, ‘George, you know those kids, you know them, who should I take?’, He goes like, ‘Alright, you’re probably not gonna like this one, you gotta take Scalabrine’ That whole week I played pickup with Mike. For two straight weeks, I was his like his guy, right? It was a big moment for me to realize, I can, you know play pro-yeah. If my childhood hero is stamping me.”
Scalabrine was mostly a deep bench player for his career. His best season came with New Jersey during the 2004-05 campaign, when he put up career-highs of 6.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. These numbers don’t excite many NBA fans, but Scal is among a select few players who have made it to the league.
Only 0.3% of high-school prospects make it to the NBA and among them just 2-3% of NCAA Division 1 athletes realise their pro dreams. In 2013, Scalabrine proved the big gulf between those who make it to the NBA and amateur players.
He launched a challenge called “Scallenge” where he squared off against former college players in a Game of 11. No athlete stood a chance against Scalabrine, who was just a year removed from the league. That’s why during Scallenge, he famously said, “I am closer to LeBron than you are to me.”
While Scalabrine’s resume may not measure up to many great role players in the league, he did leave an imprint on the game. He survived the grueling NBA landscape for 11 seasons and even won a championship with the Celtics in 2008.
