Brian Scalabrine has received some of the biggest cheers Boston has ever heard.
But that’s more because of his cult hero status and Celtics-befitting red hair than his skills on the court.
Still, Scalabrine left an NBA legacy of not only being a scrub but also of being a beloved sub — and one who was always around when teams were winning. Scalabrine, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, was with the Celtics for five years, including their 2008 championship. He’s been marked as a winner who helped whatever club he joined — 3.1 points a game notwithstanding.
Now, apparently, someone wants to follow in his footsteps — and it’s none other than former Boston reserve man Rasheed Wallace, USA Today sports reporter Jeff Zillgitt writes.
Rasheed Wallace on his role w/NYK: “I accept my Brian Scalabrine role. I’m cool with it.”
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) November 3, 2012
Now, what exactly does Sheed mean? That he wants to be a stopgap cheerleader? That he’s ready to average 1.1 points a game for an entire season? That he wants to go into a game like a human victory cigar — deployed when the game is in the bag?
As is the case most often with Wallace, no one can really know. But it’s a good sign that Wallace isn’t counting on too many minutes, no matter how much the usually injury-plagued and lackluster Knicks need him.
