The White Mamba is still up for grabs in free agency. The man who is arguably the most beloved end-of-rotation player in the NBA is in danger of not having an NBA team to call his own as training camp begins to near. The former second round pick had previously played for the Chicago Bulls in last year’s shortened season, although ‘played’ is a bit misleading as ‘sitting’ is much more indicative of what Brian Scalabrine actually did.
While in Chicago, Scalabrine played in just 28 games this past season averaging 4.4mpg. Despite a lack of court time, the former USC standout was never short on enthusiasm, as fans literally would chant his name in blowouts.
Brian Scalabrine once upon a time was a useful rotation player for the New Jersey Nets and the Boston Celtics. With averages of 21mpg and 19 mpg in 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 respectively, he didn’t always spend his time warming the twine. He quickly became a fan favourite, however, due to this high level of energy and athleticism whenever he was given playing time. Despite a lack of talent, Scalabrine would oftentimes outwork tired opponents and garner much delight from fans.
The love for Scalabrine recently escalated with the arrival of internet-generated ‘memes’ that featured Scalabrine-inspired images mixed with humorous sarcasm. Stars around the league would be pictured with Scalabrine in the same image with captions noting Scalabrine’s basketball prowess.
At this point in his career, Scalabrine will be undoubtedly looking for any contract he can find, and he will almost assuredly be selling his marketability to general managers looking for a fan-favourite.
‘The White Mamba’ could basically join any team in the league looking for a 15th man to fill the roster or a team looking to attract more fans to their games. As a Toronto Raptor fan, I would love to see him in a Raptor uniform cheering on the rest of the team with his usually high degree of enthusiasm.
So please, to the general managers of the NBA. Someone, anyone, please sign Brian Scalabrine to a contract.
