Brian Scalabrine — a cult hero in Boston — has turned down a coaching job with the Bulls to head into broadcasting this fall in Boston.
That is what the man himself told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on twitter):Brian Scalabrine has turned down coaching job with Bulls and will call games for Comcast Sports New England this season, he tells Y! Sports…. Scalabrine will do color analysis on 11 games for the Celtics, as well as some studio work. “A trial run for both of us,” Scalabrine told Y!
Scalabrine isn’t prepared to say he’s retired from playing in the NBA but concedes, “I had zero opportunities. Not some, but zero.”
Tom Thibodeau had offered Scalabrine a coaching position with the Bulls. That made sense — he had worked to bring Scalabrine with him from Boston (where he was an assistant) to Chicago to help be a leader in practice teaching his system. This would have been a natural extension.
Scalabrine told Woj saying no to Thibodeau was the hardest thing he had done, but that he felt television and broadcasting may be the future for him.
So look for Scalabrine on Comcast SportsNet New England this season. But not on the court any more. Which is a little bit sad.