@@TheKazmosis ong, these are the pinnacle of human evolution and physique. The worst NBA/MLB/NHL/NFL/Futbol player would absolutely WASH the best amateur in their respective sport….in flip-flops too💀
He’s not even close to the worst NBA player. He played 11 years for a reason. That being said, even guys who only played in the NBA for like a ten day contract would wreck any of these internet trolls
@@bryonwitmen imagine trash talking an Internet troll or something, then the two guys get together just to find out that same Internet troll is fucking Kevin Durant
It's embarrassing how many people don't understand the distance between being able to do something as a hobby versus being able to do the same activity at a level where you can make a living.
@@ratedpending Exactly! Great point. Because most of the players in those leagues would mop the floor with these keyboard warriors and even those players would not be able to have a successful career in the NBA.
Becoming a professional in anything is a humbling experience. Suddenly you realize how far removed everyone else is from you in the one particular area, and subsequently how far you are removed from all those other professions.
I love his explanation of what separates an NBA player from a really athletic basketball player. Most folks coming up think its just about athleticism and the physical act of playing but when you're on that level EVERYONE is physically amazing. What separates them is their mental ability to read and know what another world class athlete is about to do. This shit is chess not checkers.
That’s why some of these folks don’t realize it’s MORE to just dunking on everybody. Asking why they aren’t in the league. Lol it’s cus all they can do is jump!!!! Dennis smith Jr. showed that. Derrick Jones jr. is showing that etc.
This is why, even into my late 30's as a 5'6" and overweight dude (I was 5'10" at my tallest, before 7 Years in the Army did a number on my spin), I could go out and control the court as a Point Guard against kids in their late teens and early 20's. Because I had learned the game, I could process it. I knew what they were going to do, I knew how to set them up. I'd burn one person, they'd get laughed at for letting an 'old man' beat them on a play. So I'd stop the play and tell the guy laughing "Cool. You guard me." Probably the best thing I did on a court, and this was while I was in the Army, was realizing my team would lose because they had a 6'10" player who was on the Base Team at Fort Carson. So I told my friend he had to run point, because my EVERYTHING was going to be put into checking this guy on every play. He scored one basket, on a really good post move. Other than that I laid into him and forced him outside the box and challenged everything. When he scored I took the point, when down and drilled a 3 in his eye. Was the only shot I took all game. Dude had some talent, and some physical gifts, but every time I'd see him get behind he'd complain about his team and fold like a cheap suit. So I just stuck to him and made his life as tough as I could on that court, and in the end he didn't have the mental fortitude to rise up and dominate. We should have got drummed. But I could read him, knew what he wanted to do, and knew if he didn't get to do that he'd fold.
@@theclimbto1 The army produces unnecessary egoism so you'll be dumb enough to go die in battle. It's bleeding through your post. Lose weight and get in real shape.
Funny story: Luc Mbah A Moute was known more for defense in the NBA than scoring. Came back to Cameroon and played some open runs and some local heroes (who could actually really ball) thought they could go up against him cuz he "wasn't a scorer". It got ugly. Dude was hitting them with crossovers, step back 3s, the WORKS.
@@GunUDwnAt2nd You’re right. Dennis Rodman scored 46 points in his last college game. Of course that was against NAIA comp, but the point stands. He wasn’t a “scorer” at the NBA level at all but I bet he’d give any regular person buckets in his prime
Scal, the reason why so many dudes are delusional about their skill is because you guys make it look so easy that us normal folk think we could do it too. You guys are an inspiration and any person who has ever played ball knows how talented, focused and hard-working you need to be for a scout to even notice you. To actually play in the NBA for 11 years is for legends only.
Also the height thing. Go find your tallest buddy who probably claims he’s 6’5 - challenge to stand next to the door - he’s probably 6’3. This guy is half a foot taller than that. A lot basketball fans are totally delusional about height and think this guy is the same as a slow 5’10 D3 player
@@HkFinn83 Yes you have people like CP3 who looks like a midget out there at 6 ft. Then I remember that the tallest guy I know is about 6ft 6 and he played centre in high school. In the NBA he'd need to play guard. Everyone in the NBA just makes the game look ridiculously easy. Reality is as an average guy, we have no chance!
There’s so much potential on an actual show called the Scallenge. White Mamba can be the host. He could bring in retired players getting called out by the average Joe. I’d watch thay
Being a hooper myself (never made it to the league), that's the realest shit a baller ever said. "I suck compared to NBA stars, but YOU SUCK compared to me." The dedication it takes to make it to that point is ridiculous, and we constantly undermine it.
So true. I remember going home after my first season playing d3 and the high school kids talking trash while I was at my home town gym getting in reps. I did this same thing with them. Then I brought a friend who'd went d1 and showed them that he was classes ahead of me. I think the craziest thing to experience is playing against people that are levels ahead of you. Playing against my d1 friend at the time and Avery Johnson at a gym in New Orleans was crazy. The change in speed the physicality. Its just all on a different level.
@Jordan Wade Exactly. I played D1 baseball and had individual tryout to sign for Spring training. I was basically a gold glover SS-2B. Speed was above average. Arm was good to great. I'm 5'9" so I got overlooked some. Point is, I had workouts at Junior Colleges and it was night and day comparison. Could thrown on the run and was just smooth. They had a shorter field than MLB standard. I was hitting with a wooden bat and they were hitting with aluminum bats. I was hitting like 4 out of every 10 out of the park. It was to the point that I wasted my time. Most were not going to play D1 and it was one of the lower junior college ranked teams. I played at the top 3 in California where all the starters got D1 scholarships. Baseball is different too. Most D1 guts can play minor league ball. It's just that some wouldn't get to triple AAA let alone the MLB. I would say that at least half of D1 players can play low A minor league ball.
The majority of guys I've played basketball with in my lifetime, from when I was a we lad in elementary all the way up until yesterday as a middle aged doofus, did not start on their high school's varsity team. Myself included. I got garbage minutes as a senior. And I'm slightly better than average in an everyday pickup game now... for my age haha. White Mamba is a beast. And I'll die on this hill.
I've heard NBA players say it: "Everyone in the league is there for a reason." If you think Brian Scalabrine is bad at basketball, you probably think Bill Gates is poor -- because Jeff Bezos is richer. I got news: Bill Gates ain't poor, and Brian Scalabrine is immensely talented at basketball.
@@jeffeyjeffey8 In what way? Your odds of becoming a billionaire are probably similar to your odds of making it in the NBA. Incredible amounts of hard work, talent, good decision making, and some luck are required.
Well said and great comparison! Something like what? 500 - 1000 players in the entire NBA? Wonder how much the 1000th richest person in the world is? EDIT - *There is roughly 2-3 thousand billionaires in the world. The average random chosen person being competitive to an NBA player is ballpark on the same scale as your average randomly chosen person being a billionaire. How many billionaires do you know?
Hes completely right. I got pretty decent for a guy that was 6’1... used to play at neighborhood parks... EVERY TIME there was an old NBA player or even the guys that almost made it but never quite did... they would SMOKE everyone. The level of play is astounding.
I am 6ft and was quite athletic could dunk easily and thought of myself as a good basketball player and actually a great defender But as you say, I played once against a guy who was on the same camp as a 16 y/o Tony Parker. I could not defend against that guy he was just too quick. He said that he felt like that when he played against Tony Parker - that he was super quick and nobody could stop him. I think that shows the massive difference in athleticism and add to it reading the game and basketball IQ that they grow into and that's the answer to the question.
@thenewshmoo I lived in LA I played everywhere. I don’t know the old nba/almost nba players names. But I’ve played some games where nick van excel was playing and some other nba players. Harry the horse dinnel was my old high school coach. Not an nba player, an aba player. I played at rogers park in Inglewood on occasion, and also at various late night basketball venues. Etc etc. i was never good enough to go pro but I could shoot the lights out and move quick. I got scouted by a Georgetown scout back when I was in highschool… he said I had the fastest first step he had seen in 5 years. Meh. Never had the grades and I couldn’t dunk even though I’m 6’1 also in Hough school I sucked and didn’t make my highschool team. It wasn’t until my late teens and early 20’s that I got decent.
What he's saying is so true! I remember watching a retired and old Tim Legler score over 60 points in a pro-am game against other professional players! It looked like he was moving in slow motion but he was hitting everything! NBA players are wired differently than non-NBA players. There is no other way to simulate the NBA experience without actually playing in the NBA. That mean, the "worst" NBA player is better than all of us, lol
And they got a way out of prime, minivan driving, scalabrine. If he was in his prime they would feel helpless, like they're drowning. There's just levels to this.
People already feel like they’re drowning when they’re playing him now LMAOOO, it really irritates me how people disrespect nba players just because they aren’t good relative to other nba guys.
Scal was all Pac-12, averaged 16ppg at a high major and people that only started on senior night in high school really think they can beat him. I’m glad he pulled up on folks.
One of the guys he played was a PF at Syracuse, who played and contributed. Not a star, not a guy who got drafted, but a decent D1 power 5 conference player. He got crushed by Scal too.
@@Kurgosh1 Exactly. The last guys on the end of the bench on every nba roster were lighting it up in college. Especially the ones that were able to stick around the league for a number of years.
@@Kurgosh1 Now take the guy who WAS a star but had to play in Europe because he was an inch shorter and 20# lighter. And force them to play full court one-on-one.
I think it's due to the fact that superstars can't really be themselves. They have the pressure of the nba and the brands that pay them gazillons of dollars. They can't wake up a morning and do what they want. They are trapped in this life.
This man averaged 16 points, 6 Boards, and 3 assists in the Pac 10 and shot 51% from the Field. He lasted 11 seasons in the NBA so I am going to assume he was also a great attribute to the teams he was on, gave minutes in necessary time, and was a great practice player. His NBA career salary was over $20M in total. On top of it he seems like a good dude.
I will always love that Scal did the Scallenge. Average ass high school hoopers thinking they could check a guy who was on an NBA roster for 11 seasons and was all PAC-12 was absolutely ridiculous
Yeah you got these young hoopers who don't even got their names in their HS trophy case think they can check a dude who has his name in Highline College (Washington) mens basketbal, accolades in PAC-12 and probably a top 25 player in USC mens basketball history? Too much 2K for these kids and not enough actually experiencing the game of basketball for themselves even at their own level.
This is being Captain Obvious, but at some point age will matter, and he won't be able to hang with young athletes any more. The gray area is when he hasn't figured that out yet, and is still willing to play them.
Mfs dont realize even the most bottom of the barrel end of the bench restricted minutes nba player that hasn't touched the ball in 50 possessions would wipe the fucking floor with everyone.
People really don't understand it! Every NBA player is a freak of nature.. That's why it's not so surprising to see Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Isiah Thomas dunk with ease!. Nate Robinson was a utility player and he's a beast in his own right.. And those tall lanky awkward white guys will cook you ALL day!!
I'm gonna be honest, he was a role player in the sense he was an acceptable end of bench player, but I don't think 13 MPG averaging 3/2/1 on 39% FG should be considered "pretty good" role player. He produced the bare minimum needed to stay in the league, which shows you just how different pros are compared to even the greatest amateurs.
@@Cripplified you do know that players in the nba are only allowed to shoot certain shots at certain spots at certain times? If you are a bench player, you will be barely allowed to shoot the ball. Scalabrine’s career high is 29 points. If you are s scrub, you are not getting 29 points ever.
Back in high school I laughed at dudes talking about they want to play in the NBA. I'm wasn't a basketball player but I can see moves developing, these guys had Low IQ. All they knew was stand here and when I get the ball, dribble and drive or shoot.
I love how the dude is totally cool with being thought of as a go to example of a "Bad NBA Player" and just loves trolling people who have no idea how vast the skill gap is between NBA players and 99% of the rest of the world.
I played in weekly, high level pickups with all ex-pats in Seoul, S. Korea. Lots of D3, D2 and even a handful of D1 players who were living in Korea in the military would show up, and since it was the only strong competition they'd generally find everyone played hard. One time, a few Korean guys from the Korea professional league showed up. WOW! These guys dominated, even against the former D2 and D1 players. Like Scalabrine said, the constant work they were putting in versus the D1 players who were now only really playing weekly pickup really showed. They killed us.
There’s so many levels to things. Because even those KBL players would then get creamed by a team of competent NBA players, who would then get blown out by an all star team.
A similar story on a lower scale though: A friend of mine played in the second division in Germany which is still a pro league. Some day we were hooping for fun on a outdoor court and my friend was adapting to our level and goofed around. Some dude saw that and thought its time to challenge the semi-pro who he saw playing every weekend. The challenging guy was also a hooper but not a pro^^ After a few minutes of trash talk the game begun and the challenger got whooped 21-0 and 21-0 and my friend was drinking the night before
Those second division guys in Germany were (are) good). I hooped on a lower-level club team in Germany, and would go to the nearby town to watch the Bundesliga guys practicing. Sometimes they'd let a couple of us play with them for fun (or when they were down some players). It was fun to play practice games with them, but there was no doubt I couldn't hang with them in a real game.
It's the same for every sport. I practice Judo (a Japanese martial art, been practicing for 5 years consistently at that point) and I would say I'm a solid weekend warrior middle of the pack at the local dojo, competed in a couple local tournaments with a pretty even 50/50 on wins/loss. So basically nothing crazy in my dojo but don't usually get embarrassed. One day, my dojo had a couple HIGH SCHOOLERS from Japan visiting us, these guys are basically top level in their HS and they are trying to get a spot on the university team (so think D1) and they were telling me they might not make it to the main team, maybe back up team (I was mid 30s). Anyway, in sparring sessions, they destroyed everyone at my local gym with ease and didn't even break a sweat (but mostly through techniques and they went easy on the strength part). They were able to stay so relaxed, imposing at will, not even going full speed, half of the time they were talking to people that were watching while their opponents were focused and going 100% I knew there were levels to this. But this was when I truly understood that the average Joe is SO FAR away from the pro.
My dad told me my uncle once signed up for a "tryouts" with an mlb team back in the day (Cardinals I think), it was a community thing where they invited people to come try and play for fun. He said every time the pitch was thrown he'd just hear a THUD behind him. Every time he tried he'd just hear a thud way before. Said everyone was just out there getting strikeout non stop xD
Just goes to show how full of it the Joes are. Most aren’t even the best at the job, career they have. Yet feel they can go against guys who eat shit breathe basketball. Scalabrine may have been a bum in relation his peers (pros) but definitely not the Joes.
@@seankeegan8285I remember them breaking down Randy Johnson’s height and arm length and how it affected his pitches. Something along the lines of you can’t see his fastball at certain speeds.
I see it with fighting. I’ve been training in at least 1 martial art at all times for the last 30 years. I’m by no means at a world class level at any of them. Plus, I’m old now. But when I hear young guys first starting out, talking crap, I just have to laugh. They have no clue as to how helpless they would be if they went up against someone with decades of technique and experience. They usually discover that fact rather quickly.
Lot of NBA players have Podcast. You literally can listen to them after games just give their take on what happens. On PG podcast, the first thing his last podcast was talking about was Bron dunking on him. It was funny to listen to.
At 6'9" 250 with his hand eye coordination and knowledge, non pros just don't stand a chance against Scal. He's a good sport but play him and realize how helpless you are
@@Samuel-qg2bh I mean the amount of nba talent~worthy people that take a wrong turn in life and don’t take advantage of their talents at the right time is sizable. There’s individuals out there that have more talent and knowledge than an NBA player who,was always in the bottom 3 % of the entire league ; few in general but they’re out there .
@@gabydize but you are discounting the effect that playing in the NBA has on a person. Simply having NBA-level talent is fine, but the league will still make that person much, much, MUCH better. Talent or athletic ability is not everything.
I love that Brian played with his reputation. He definitely knows he wasn't the best in the league but he also knows all the hate/disrepect on his abilities were over the top.
From 15 to 25 I used to play a lot of pick up basketball. Trough the years I've played with all kinds of players you can imagine in a pick up setting. Some of those guys were really good but at any point I was able to at least hang around. I was able to be on the same court and never get embarrassed. Now keep in mind none of these guys ever played professionaly at any level. A few guys did play in some clubs and got payed a little bit of money but I wouldn't call that playing real pro basketball. I was able to keep up. That is untill I played against a guy who was in his late 30's and used to play for a big club in Serbia called Belgrade Red Star or better known as Crvena Zvezda. He wasn't even a big player at the club. He was a bench warmer. But playing with him was a pure joy. He would always find you in the right position to score. He would give you the best advice on how to move. What to do. And he never ever forced anything. Every shot came to him naturally. Outside or inside. He also didn't do that much running. It seemed like he never broke a sweat yet he was completly dominant. At that point I realized what it means to play against a guy that's good at pick up basketball or somebody who had contact with professional basketball..... trust me guys. You are not as good as you thnk you are.
For the kids: That bit with the speed ladder is important. It helps with developing ankle strength and proper sequencing to be efficient when moving around. General quickness would go up too as a bonus. Quickness is Kobe's, D-Wade's and Jordan's best physical asset. Quickness also entails they can jump even in the tightest of spaces
I played against some D2 players. There is a reason I was a wrestler in high school and not a basketball player. They did love the picks I set for them though and I was just as physical as they were. They were leaps and bounds beyond me in basketball ability. I played with some high D1 players and it was simply amazing what they could do. They were bigger, faster and stronger. Amazing athletes. Now we are all old.
It makes me so happy to be a Celtics fan since he’s our color commentator. Scal’s realtime analysis and color commentary is way better than most (if not every) other local broadcast, and definitely better than every national broadcast.
I've played basketball my whole life and I would love to play 1 on 1 with a current or former NBA player. Not with any illusion of winning, but just to see up close how amazing they are. Hell just standing courtside at an Orlando magic game when Shaq was still here was awesome. On TV you can't get the full measure of just how big and fast everyone is. Even the players that Shaq made look small are giants compared to most people.
I wonder how many average basketball players are needed to defeat a single pro (e.g. Scalabrine vs college players, but instead of facing them one by one, there are two or more college players on the field simultaneously; how many college players are needed at the same time to defeat Scalabrine?) similarly, I wonder how many college players are needed on the same field to win against a full NBA team, though that's going to be very impractical to test and it would be very chaotic
I love what he says about the speed ladder and doing it everyday. I've been coaching youth baseball this summer, and these kids get so bored at doing fundamental work such as two hands drip, working on footwork, and etc. They just want to throw, hit, and catch, but without enough attention to detail or proper mechanics. I consistently tell them that major leaguers do these drills everyday, but they do not care.
Make them look at Luka. For me Luka is a fundamentally sound player. He doesn't have the explosiveness and athletism to blow by defenders but he is fundamentally sound that he can get pass through tough defense
Makes me want a Scal jersey. I love how he explained exactly what would make Mullin, Bird and all other legends great regardless of the era...basketball IQ. How he explained "tells" and how he'd figure out opponents, it's crazy how close that is to something like competitive video games like street fighter. I never thought of it like that.
Mullin's my fave player. Bird mentioned many times that he's the best shooter he's ever seen/ played against. bird and mullin(mully his nickname) as you have said have a very hi basketball IQ.
Mullin is one of my fave Warriors player. He would go to different hoods in the ghettos and just straight up destroy everyone lmao. but yeah... mullin and bird are not freakishly athletic by any means but just had hi basketball IQ
He had to work constantly on basketball just to stay in the NBA and we was a great college player to begin with. But in a world where everyone thinks they are special without credentials it's nice to see someone out there (gently) putting people in their place.
30 teams in the NBA. 15 guys on each roster for a total of 450. You take the absolute worse guy in the NBA, the guy who hardly ever plays, most of his stats start with a .0 somethin'. He's basically a moving cone/ rebounder during practice. But that guy is still the 450th best basketball player on a planet of over 7 billion people. You might be hoopin at the YMCA...but Mr. 450 will destroy you without breaking a sweat. Guaranteed.
@@majorwakanda8858 because you can make good money playing in Europe? Or be a fringe NBA player trying to scrap and claw to make a minimum contract, or make 2-3M per season overseas.
He understands the game so well. If you listen to him when he is broadcasting the celtics games he is always calling out plays before they happen. explains sets and why they arnt working, calls out adjustments that need to be made that end up being made. He just understands the game better than people recognize!
1000000000000% agree - no matter how "bad" an NBA player, these cats are unreal. I was able to play w/Mitchell Butler (UCLA) and Duane Cooper (USC) way back in the day. These two guys were not exactly big time NBA players. They could do EVERYTHING better than anyone I had ever seen. The two best shooters I have ever witnessed in person, almost never missed. They were so strong, so fast, so athletic, etc. They knew what you were going to do before you did and beat you at every step. All NBA level guys are truly amazing players.
It's honestly crazy how good at shooting NBA players are when they're not being guarded by other NBA players. I think the fact that so many guys seem pedestrian when it comes to shooting in games also shows how big of a factor nerves play as well.
It just goes to show how much work goes to into playing defense at the NBA level. Because neither Scal or Duncan are considered top tier defensive players. But they still had to put in so much work defensively just to even get on the floor. Stuff we will never know or experience.
@@zacharypeterson4178 That’s how you know he wasn’t BS ing when he said he went into backyard pickup games in not so friendly areas. KG is like the final street hoop boss persona.
@@youngswoll3 to be fair ... That was kind of his job ... He didn't fight, he only wanted to get in your head ... If you wanted to fight him outside the game, that probably means he did a good job. That doesn't mean KG wasn't a though guy inside the court.
I remember doing a run with Jalen Leque back when he was still in high school. He plays for the Suns now but even back then, he was easily far better than anyone else I’ve ever played against
This is such a gem of an interview. I always loved Scal precisely because of how much he looked like he didn't belong, but you knew deep down he did. I loved him on the Nets in those 00s teams especially.
“I just wanted to do it for me” respect. I’m in the process of traveling to every country in the world. Don’t know if I want to start a social media and share. It’s just for me.
He's a great color guy, but his post-game programs and other segments on NBC can be cringe-worthy. He is a little arrogant and standoffish with other hosts like Abby Chin
I remember his best game in the 2004 playoffs against the Pistons in Game 5. He can't miss and was so crucial in the closing minutes coz Kenyon and Collins fouled out. He is a good role player really.
Scal is awesome. My two sons and I got off an elevator at the TD Garden and as the doors opened, there was seven foot, red headed Scal who IMMEDIATELY knew the assignment: Make this moment special for this dad and his 2 sons. Big smile, hand shakes, talked us up, wished us a great night. Awesome guy. Plus a sick announcer.
Scal is being humble, he was a solid NBA player! I watched him growing up, he had really good defense, high IQ, a nice jump shot and could get 🔥 hot, and the red hair & energy was definitely his trademark. For any athletes listening he really dropped a ton of wisdom in a short time...
Damn one of the most insightful interviews and accounts of what it’s like to play nba ball. Thanks Scal. Oakland Ca supports and salute u family ✊🏿🔥⬆️💯✅
Scalabrine explaining how normal life and school is so difficult but you find that one thing that clicks with you and makes you feel like it all makes sense. It really speaks to me. I can hardly do clothes washing but I could rewire an entire house without a second thought. Because it makes sense, nothing else did at the time I was young. Small talk, communication being hard, just let me do what I am good at.
Dudes who think they can hang with an NBA player are like guys thinking they can perform surgery because they picked a splinter out of their finger. It ain't even close.
comparing the two is silly, on one hand if youre able to stick out the school, training, and repetition for your doctorate then youre probably competent for the career, whereas the other is just an unreachable plateau of natural born skill and athletics that the normal person could never achieve
@@CriTicOfsOrtsI mean most average joe's skill in basketball is also more than what it takes to take out a splinter. It's a fair comparison of magnitude. Remember that he's not directly comparing surgery to the NBA.
It's crazy how some people don't understand what kind of talent it takes to play at certain levels. Whether it's D3, overseas or semi-pro. A guy that plays overseas is going to destroy your average street hooper. That's speaking from personal experience. To think that you could easily take even a scrub NBA player makes you delusional.
@@HkFinn83 yea what I’ve found is that unless your are playing a real slow big guy, it’s hard to defend people 3+ inches taller than you, that’s why DBook won’t be guarding Giannis in the Finals
@@dcheard2 That's the crazy thing about LeBron. Sometimes I play against slow ass uncoordinated dudes around Bron's height and I am just like now imagine that this big ass dude starts running at me with the speed of a train and elevates from the free throw line to windmill on my ass.
Love how Robinson has a massive grin on his face while Scal talks about sports being the only place he was comfortable growing up. Bet that one hit home.
I was a ball boy for two seasons. White mamba came through as a broadcaster both years and sat on the bench during half time with us ball boys just shooting the breeze. Awesome guy
I played a pickup game in college at Alabama in the early 1990's with 3 1st rd picks in it (Latrell Spreewell, Robert Horry, James Robinson). I remember feeling like they were another species of human after getting tomahawk dunked on by Spreewell
"Im closer to LeBron than you are to me" Heres the way I see it 10-LeBron, MJ, Kareem ect 9- Everyone with significant playing time 8-Scal 7- Overseas pros 6- Average D1 5- Average D2 D3 4- D3 Benchwarmer 3-Best players at your park/gym 2-Average bum 1- That guy that thinks he has handles but never passes and misses all his shots
lol this is pretty good. #2 could add HS all star for their 10 mile radius who now will still be in local bars talking about that night they had 27 points and how they would have won state if only ....
@@xristosrizos8406 doubt it.... I think anyone who can play in the NBA and make that kind of money definitely would. And if there's talent overseas, why don't they stay there? Sure you have a very small select group... like Jimmer, who doesn't ever want to play off the bench, so he goes overseas and scores 40 a game and is a legend. Then theres people like PJ tucker who do very well overseas but jump at the chance to get back in the NBA even as a solid role player. Or Boban.... he was a superstar overseas and he chose NBA as limited role player over being an MVP caliber player over there. Obviously here he has the money and fame that couldn't be matched there.
@@Lhansmeyer33 Boban was never a superstar overseas. He never played in a contender team. And Jimmer tried to play the Euroleague but he was extremely weak defensively in order to have an impact. There are a lot of european players who find minutes overseas but were never stars in the Euroleague. I am not saying that the Euroleague is close to the NBA, but it has some players that are definitely better than NBA bench warmers.
My HS coach was a pro baller, 6'3" pointguard, our best player, dad. he coached us while he was playing too, so sometimes he wouldnt show up to practice or games etc, but he taught us sooo much more than anyone else, bball knowledge, even profouls, he would play us in practice, hit half court shots at will, not just once im talking like 99% every shot went in. He was so fast he would pick everyones pocket, block us all the time, play 3 v 1 and still kill us, while laughing. Then one day they both just left. it still bugs me today 25 years later they just vanished.
I’m a very good amateur tennis player. I have played tour tennis pros and i know exactly what he is talking about reading shots. I can hit my best shot and they are moving to the spot before my racket makes contact.
There are like 6000 Div I players, and if you ever played with one you know that is not a low level.Only like 50 of them get drafted every year, so these are already the very elite. Of these, like 15-18 end up sticking for more more than 3-4 years. You must be extremely elite to play for 11 years.
Look up my guy Pooh Jeter, played one season in the nba and avg 4 ppg. He played a game in the drew league and absolutely destroyed some of the best talent in LA. The competition is a different level y’all, these dudes get paid to play ball for a reason. Just because they look avg against elite talent, doesn’t mean they’d look that way against you lol.
Scal is my absolute favorite. If you own who you are and just try to be the best you can be everyday you can die happy and with no regrets. There are guys in the league with way more talent, making way more money but they don’t seem happy. They let other ppl and things out of their control get them down. Scal looks happy AF. And I’m happy for him.
To those who never played in any level of game against an NBA player just doon't understand how good these guys really are...BUT the main thing that people underestimate is their level of athleticism at their SIZE! Not only are they most skilled, they also have RARE body types! And that you cannot teach or develop!
I was in awe back in 1989 when I was in high school, and stood right next to the Phoenix sun's players as they walked off the court. Especially Tom Chambers4. Being that tall and that athletic
Muggsy (5'3"), Spud (5'7") and Nate (5'9"). Small players that are insane. It would be cool seeing them in their primes or what Scal did against regulars
So many fools out there. Thousands upon thousands play basketball around the globe in high school/college/club teams and there are maybe 750 NBA players…IN THE WORLD. They are elite and it’s no accident.
There are ~450 NBA players at any given time. But yes your point is true as there are probably 200,000 male players past age 18 in the world, not including casual weekend players.
Quick story… I played D2 college baseball and one practice our coach brought in a guy who was a high level minor league pitcher (he got hurt and it derailed his MLB career) to throw against us. Short story long, he made most of us look fairly silly with a 12-6 curveball that started at our hips and had guys ducking yet it was a strike. Average fans who’ve never played at a high level have zero clue how good pro athletes are. You have ZERO chance competing against them! ZERO!!
but at the same time, college athletes leave for the these professional leagues so surely there have to be SOME people out there who can at least somewhat keep up
Keeping it real. People who get signed to play in the NBA (or even just get drafted) and get paid the amount of money that they receive just to play basketball ARE IN THE NBA BECAUSE their basketball skills are OUTSTANDING AND ABOVE AVERAGE THAN ANYONE ELSE out there during that point in time. And ON TOP OF THAT, they are blessed with height, heft, strength and athleticism. No one will pay you that much money if your basketball skills are just the same as everyone else's out there.
@@AustinMulkaMusic if Chris Paul was 5'7 he would be doing a podcast with Isiah Thomas . He wasn't super blessed with height but his talent makes up for it.
@@rahowherox1177 Keame didn’t stay in the league for 12 years because he’s a bum? Should he have been drafted #1? Probably not. But to say he didn’t belong is incorrect.
I was a pretty good shooter and defender when I played regularly as a hobby. But even then, I couldn't compete when I took the court against a former college player who was about my size (6'1", slim build) and happened to live in my neighborhood. For a recreational baller to think they can compete with a much bigger former NBA player is insane.
its only because scal is white... its the tatted dreadlocks brothas who hoop at LA fitness think they can beat him no matter what level they played... "there's no way any white boy would be better than a brotha at hoops"
“I’m closer to Lebron than you are to me”
-White Mamba 💀
Pure savage
Brutal, but 1000000% the truth
@@TheKazmosis ong, these are the pinnacle of human evolution and physique. The worst NBA/MLB/NHL/NFL/Futbol player would absolutely WASH the best amateur in their respective sport….in flip-flops too💀
@Jaemond Mcneal How are you comparing "us" to fckin zion bruh 😂
@Jaemond Mcneal Since when were amateurs compared to the overall number 1 pick? lol
He’s not even close to the worst NBA player. He played 11 years for a reason. That being said, even guys who only played in the NBA for like a ten day contract would wreck any of these internet trolls
Ryan hollins
don't forget that at least one of those internet trolls is actually Kevin Durant on his burner ;)
@@bryonwitmen imagine trash talking an Internet troll or something, then the two guys get together just to find out that same Internet troll is fucking Kevin Durant
Not if that troll is Kevin Durant lmao
Yeah you have to have a minimum skill level to get into the league, most people will never reach that minimum skill lvl
It's embarrassing how many people don't understand the distance between being able to do something as a hobby versus being able to do the same activity at a level where you can make a living.
At the highest possible level* these aren't even guys playing in random foreign leagues, they are in the most elite organization in basketball
@@ratedpending Exactly! Great point. Because most of the players in those leagues would mop the floor with these keyboard warriors and even those players would not be able to have a successful career in the NBA.
It’s amazing, most just want a attention!
@@shawngillespie3532 to be fair if I had the opportunity to 1v1 an NBA player I'd take it no matter how hard I'd get destroyed
Becoming a professional in anything is a humbling experience.
Suddenly you realize how far removed everyone else is from you in the one particular area, and subsequently how far you are removed from all those other professions.
I love his explanation of what separates an NBA player from a really athletic basketball player. Most folks coming up think its just about athleticism and the physical act of playing but when you're on that level EVERYONE is physically amazing. What separates them is their mental ability to read and know what another world class athlete is about to do.
This shit is chess not checkers.
That’s why some of these folks don’t realize it’s MORE to just dunking on everybody. Asking why they aren’t in the league. Lol it’s cus all they can do is jump!!!! Dennis smith Jr. showed that. Derrick Jones jr. is showing that etc.
This is why, even into my late 30's as a 5'6" and overweight dude (I was 5'10" at my tallest, before 7 Years in the Army did a number on my spin), I could go out and control the court as a Point Guard against kids in their late teens and early 20's. Because I had learned the game, I could process it. I knew what they were going to do, I knew how to set them up.
I'd burn one person, they'd get laughed at for letting an 'old man' beat them on a play. So I'd stop the play and tell the guy laughing "Cool. You guard me."
Probably the best thing I did on a court, and this was while I was in the Army, was realizing my team would lose because they had a 6'10" player who was on the Base Team at Fort Carson. So I told my friend he had to run point, because my EVERYTHING was going to be put into checking this guy on every play. He scored one basket, on a really good post move. Other than that I laid into him and forced him outside the box and challenged everything. When he scored I took the point, when down and drilled a 3 in his eye. Was the only shot I took all game. Dude had some talent, and some physical gifts, but every time I'd see him get behind he'd complain about his team and fold like a cheap suit. So I just stuck to him and made his life as tough as I could on that court, and in the end he didn't have the mental fortitude to rise up and dominate.
We should have got drummed. But I could read him, knew what he wanted to do, and knew if he didn't get to do that he'd fold.
And if they played full court one-on-one, with modest officiating?
@@theclimbto1 I'm surprised SportsCenter doesn't have a daily segment named after you.
@@theclimbto1 The army produces unnecessary egoism so you'll be dumb enough to go die in battle. It's bleeding through your post. Lose weight and get in real shape.
Funny story: Luc Mbah A Moute was known more for defense in the NBA than scoring. Came back to Cameroon and played some open runs and some local heroes (who could actually really ball) thought they could go up against him cuz he "wasn't a scorer".
It got ugly. Dude was hitting them with crossovers, step back 3s, the WORKS.
I'm rockets fan and love this guy. thx for sharing this story!
UCLA baby
People don't realize that "not a scorer" only applies when NBA-level defenders are around.
Mbah A Moute. The man who brought Adam Morrison to tears
@@GunUDwnAt2nd You’re right. Dennis Rodman scored 46 points in his last college game. Of course that was against NAIA comp, but the point stands. He wasn’t a “scorer” at the NBA level at all but I bet he’d give any regular person buckets in his prime
Scal, the reason why so many dudes are delusional about their skill is because you guys make it look so easy that us normal folk think we could do it too. You guys are an inspiration and any person who has ever played ball knows how talented, focused and hard-working you need to be for a scout to even notice you. To actually play in the NBA for 11 years is for legends only.
and hes white
Also the height thing. Go find your tallest buddy who probably claims he’s 6’5 - challenge to stand next to the door - he’s probably 6’3. This guy is half a foot taller than that. A lot basketball fans are totally delusional about height and think this guy is the same as a slow 5’10 D3 player
@@HkFinn83 did you not hear him talking about reads and shit 😳
@@HkFinn83 Yes you have people like CP3 who looks like a midget out there at 6 ft.
Then I remember that the tallest guy I know is about 6ft 6 and he played centre in high school. In the NBA he'd need to play guard.
Everyone in the NBA just makes the game look ridiculously easy. Reality is as an average guy, we have no chance!
It’s hard to get perspective when everyone is amazing at the sport
People need to understand that these guys are one of 450 in the NBA. 450!!! That's it.
Out of 7 billion people.
@Gibran Camus I bet you are fun at parties
And that 450th player was an all-American during his college career.
Yeah, that dude got, AND HELD ONTO, an NBA job. Despite year in and year out a whole new crop of the best college players coming into the league
@@marcusrick3928 That's a cop out response to TRY to be cool.
"I am much closer to LeBron than you are to me". I LOVE it!
Hahahahahaha damn.
That's a fact though
Lol. Yeah that is the takeaway
This is very true.
No lies detected
I absolutely love that he did the Scallenge. People have such little respect for what it means to be a real true pro. Dude is a legend 🙌 👏
That's why I stopped ✋️ calling any NBA player a bum. Not even the ones that get no minutes.
There’s so much potential on an actual show called the Scallenge. White Mamba can be the host. He could bring in retired players getting called out by the average Joe. I’d watch thay
Being a hooper myself (never made it to the league), that's the realest shit a baller ever said. "I suck compared to NBA stars, but YOU SUCK compared to me." The dedication it takes to make it to that point is ridiculous, and we constantly undermine it.
Sorry to hear you never made the league
So true. I remember going home after my first season playing d3 and the high school kids talking trash while I was at my home town gym getting in reps. I did this same thing with them. Then I brought a friend who'd went d1 and showed them that he was classes ahead of me. I think the craziest thing to experience is playing against people that are levels ahead of you. Playing against my d1 friend at the time and Avery Johnson at a gym in New Orleans was crazy. The change in speed the physicality. Its just all on a different level.
@@Istaygroovywas he drafted
@Jordan Wade Exactly. I played D1 baseball and had individual tryout to sign for Spring training. I was basically a gold glover SS-2B. Speed was above average. Arm was good to great. I'm 5'9" so I got overlooked some. Point is, I had workouts at Junior Colleges and it was night and day comparison. Could thrown on the run and was just smooth. They had a shorter field than MLB standard. I was hitting with a wooden bat and they were hitting with aluminum bats. I was hitting like 4 out of every 10 out of the park. It was to the point that I wasted my time. Most were not going to play D1 and it was one of the lower junior college ranked teams. I played at the top 3 in California where all the starters got D1 scholarships. Baseball is different too. Most D1 guts can play minor league ball. It's just that some wouldn't get to triple AAA let alone the MLB. I would say that at least half of D1 players can play low A minor league ball.
It requires more brains than brawn to get that far.
This dude was in the NBA for over a decade. Most dudes can't even start on D2. Case closed.
Even D2 players would be the best players on 98% of the courts in America.
Most dudes cant even start on D3.
@@baskingbal1 I'd say 99% of the courts
Playing D1-D3 is hard as it is. Pros are on another level
The majority of guys I've played basketball with in my lifetime, from when I was a we lad in elementary all the way up until yesterday as a middle aged doofus, did not start on their high school's varsity team. Myself included. I got garbage minutes as a senior. And I'm slightly better than average in an everyday pickup game now... for my age haha. White Mamba is a beast. And I'll die on this hill.
I've heard NBA players say it: "Everyone in the league is there for a reason."
If you think Brian Scalabrine is bad at basketball, you probably think Bill Gates is poor -- because Jeff Bezos is richer. I got news: Bill Gates ain't poor, and Brian Scalabrine is immensely talented at basketball.
And might played in a wrong era. The dude might shoot 8 threes a game this era.
Horrible comparison but nice try
@@jeffeyjeffey8 In what way? Your odds of becoming a billionaire are probably similar to your odds of making it in the NBA. Incredible amounts of hard work, talent, good decision making, and some luck are required.
@cmdtrigun it’s a horrible comparison because NO ONE has mistakenly took BILL GATES for poor in last 30 years.
Well said and great comparison! Something like what? 500 - 1000 players in the entire NBA?
Wonder how much the 1000th richest person in the world is? EDIT - *There is roughly 2-3 thousand billionaires in the world.
The average random chosen person being competitive to an NBA player is ballpark on the same scale as your average randomly chosen person being a billionaire.
How many billionaires do you know?
This new era where NBA players all have podcasts and YT channels is so awesome. I could listen to this stuff for days.
Yep:)
lol, there's no "new era" everyone has a channel at this point & arguably is getting old on youtube
@@P3GProductions Yr objectively wrong about the era thing…but in terms of things getting old, I guess that’s up to the viewer.
Idk, takes a lot of the mystery out of it, but to each their own
Hes completely right. I got pretty decent for a guy that was 6’1... used to play at neighborhood parks... EVERY TIME there was an old NBA player or even the guys that almost made it but never quite did... they would SMOKE everyone. The level of play is astounding.
I am 6ft and was quite athletic could dunk easily and thought of myself as a good basketball player and actually a great defender But as you say, I played once against a guy who was on the same camp as a 16 y/o Tony Parker. I could not defend against that guy he was just too quick. He said that he felt like that when he played against Tony Parker - that he was super quick and nobody could stop him. I think that shows the massive difference in athleticism and add to it reading the game and basketball IQ that they grow into and that's the answer to the question.
@@dajsespokoj3884 I like your comment. But I got confused at the end as I didn’t see any question.
@@patinho5589 haha - yeah, you're right! I just said it for the sake of saying it to make it look cool 😅 well spotted!
You have to be good to just play in college.
@thenewshmoo I lived in LA I played everywhere. I don’t know the old nba/almost nba players names. But I’ve played some games where nick van excel was playing and some other nba players. Harry the horse dinnel was my old high school coach. Not an nba player, an aba player. I played at rogers park in Inglewood on occasion, and also at various late night basketball venues. Etc etc. i was never good enough to go pro but I could shoot the lights out and move quick. I got scouted by a Georgetown scout back when I was in highschool… he said I had the fastest first step he had seen in 5 years. Meh. Never had the grades and I couldn’t dunk even though I’m 6’1 also in Hough school I sucked and didn’t make my highschool team. It wasn’t until my late teens and early 20’s that I got decent.
What he's saying is so true! I remember watching a retired and old Tim Legler score over 60 points in a pro-am game against other professional players! It looked like he was moving in slow motion but he was hitting everything! NBA players are wired differently than non-NBA players. There is no other way to simulate the NBA experience without actually playing in the NBA. That mean, the "worst" NBA player is better than all of us, lol
Their profession is our hobby.
The worst nba player is just a player who is either a legacy, a knob polisher, or some blm chinese loving skunk
Do you have a link? I want to see that
Even Kyle Lowry?
That’s why I love being around them. Never a dull moment.
And they got a way out of prime, minivan driving, scalabrine. If he was in his prime they would feel helpless, like they're drowning. There's just levels to this.
People already feel like they’re drowning when they’re playing him now LMAOOO, it really irritates me how people disrespect nba players just because they aren’t good relative to other nba guys.
An in his prime, minivan driving, scalabrine
It's like saying "I've faced pitchers who throw 85" and then you get a 90+mph fastball and shit your pants from the sound alone.
I also love how he wasn't even trying until the end. Then just starts bullying them.
people have forgotten, that the worst NBA Players was a highschool/college stud.
Scal was all Pac-12, averaged 16ppg at a high major and people that only started on senior night in high school really think they can beat him. I’m glad he pulled up on folks.
“Only started on senior night…” 🤣🤣🤣 they don’t understand it’s level to this.
One of the guys he played was a PF at Syracuse, who played and contributed. Not a star, not a guy who got drafted, but a decent D1 power 5 conference player. He got crushed by Scal too.
It would be fun to see those rec games he played in. I want to see him score 60
@@Kurgosh1 Exactly. The last guys on the end of the bench on every nba roster were lighting it up in college. Especially the ones that were able to stick around the league for a number of years.
@@Kurgosh1 Now take the guy who WAS a star but had to play in Europe because he was an inch shorter and 20# lighter. And force them to play full court one-on-one.
This is more interesting and fascinating to me than listening to a "superstar."
No kizzy
Think how talented those 9th 10th and 11th men are on the bench and they never get game time plus are out of the league in a 2-3 years.
@@official.k11lakam try again…stop trying to follow trends and make up words it’s a bad look
I think it's due to the fact that superstars can't really be themselves. They have the pressure of the nba and the brands that pay them gazillons of dollars. They can't wake up a morning and do what they want. They are trapped in this life.
@@tired783 he didn't make up that word it's been around for a while🤦🏽♂️
This man averaged 16 points, 6 Boards, and 3 assists in the Pac 10 and shot 51% from the Field. He lasted 11 seasons in the NBA so I am going to assume he was also a great attribute to the teams he was on, gave minutes in necessary time, and was a great practice player. His NBA career salary was over $20M in total. On top of it he seems like a good dude.
I will always love that Scal did the Scallenge. Average ass high school hoopers thinking they could check a guy who was on an NBA roster for 11 seasons and was all PAC-12 was absolutely ridiculous
It gets worse when it's average JOES in their mid 30s aging lile they are in their 50s thinking they could put some of these ex nba players in check.
Yeah you got these young hoopers who don't even got their names in their HS trophy case think they can check a dude who has his name in Highline College (Washington) mens basketbal, accolades in PAC-12 and probably a top 25 player in USC mens basketball history? Too much 2K for these kids and not enough actually experiencing the game of basketball for themselves even at their own level.
This is being Captain Obvious, but at some point age will matter, and he won't be able to hang with young athletes any more. The gray area is when he hasn't figured that out yet, and is still willing to play them.
@richatlarge462 you clearly don't understand how good the nba really is... kenny smith could still kick any average dudes ass and he's pushing 60
@@Mbolf24 Define "average dude". The guys who challenged Scalabrini could probably beat a 60-year-old Kenny.
Mfs dont realize even the most bottom of the barrel end of the bench restricted minutes nba player that hasn't touched the ball in 50 possessions would wipe the fucking floor with everyone.
People really don't understand it! Every NBA player is a freak of nature.. That's why it's not so surprising to see Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Isiah Thomas dunk with ease!. Nate Robinson was a utility player and he's a beast in his own right.. And those tall lanky awkward white guys will cook you ALL day!!
Facts
I can guard lebron tho. I kno all his moves.. hes barely faster than me
@@defrozen1027 well yeah of course. that's obvious
@@cassun603 yea he really AZZ fr
For most of Scalabrine's career he was consistently getting minutes and showing his worth at the NBA level. He actually was a pretty good role player.
I'm gonna be honest, he was a role player in the sense he was an acceptable end of bench player, but I don't think 13 MPG averaging 3/2/1 on 39% FG should be considered "pretty good" role player.
He produced the bare minimum needed to stay in the league, which shows you just how different pros are compared to even the greatest amateurs.
@@Cripplified k but he was in the nba so that's pretty good if you ask me
@@Cripplified you do know that players in the nba are only allowed to shoot certain shots at certain spots at certain times? If you are a bench player, you will be barely allowed to shoot the ball. Scalabrine’s career high is 29 points. If you are s scrub, you are not getting 29 points ever.
Uve watched the nets with kidd,jefferson? Scal started for the nets for several playoff games
@@morebluntmorecunt1725 This, when he was a rotation player for Nets, he was good role player.
Kids should listen to this interview. There’s a lot of good knowledge here on what it takes to excel not just in basketball but anything.
real talk
Back in high school I laughed at dudes talking about they want to play in the NBA. I'm wasn't a basketball player but I can see moves developing, these guys had Low IQ. All they knew was stand here and when I get the ball, dribble and drive or shoot.
Exactly
You beat me to it James S. This interview is a gold mine to the ones who are attuned to real success
@@Ace-Ace1 it really is. I listened to it a few times since I first saw it. It’s great
I love how the dude is totally cool with being thought of as a go to example of a "Bad NBA Player" and just loves trolling people who have no idea how vast the skill gap is between NBA players and 99% of the rest of the world.
I played in weekly, high level pickups with all ex-pats in Seoul, S. Korea. Lots of D3, D2 and even a handful of D1 players who were living in Korea in the military would show up, and since it was the only strong competition they'd generally find everyone played hard. One time, a few Korean guys from the Korea professional league showed up. WOW! These guys dominated, even against the former D2 and D1 players. Like Scalabrine said, the constant work they were putting in versus the D1 players who were now only really playing weekly pickup really showed. They killed us.
There’s so many levels to things. Because even those KBL players would then get creamed by a team of competent NBA players, who would then get blown out by an all star team.
@@ternedo6074 for sure!
if Scalabrine had a podcast, i would listen. the dude is hilarious
Fr, big facts
Not only hilarious. He is smart as well.
You can tell this guy is dope from the fact that he goes casual hooping across the country after his NBA days in order to cook everybody 😂😂😂
@@Justin-ml8id the "yall was talking that good shit before i showed up and dropped 60" tour
Agreed. He needs one ASAP.
Scal looks like a hybrid of zuckerberg and rappaport
Michael Rapaport probably has a photo of him over his mirror so he can look at it every night and pretend like it's him
Do we call him Zuckaport or Rappaberg ?
@@gijoey5912 definitely Zuckaport 😂😂 first thing I thought of
Can’t forgot a little bit of Barstool Portnoy
@@Peter-fh1ux his photo is above Rapaport's bed so he can look up at him
A similar story on a lower scale though:
A friend of mine played in the second division in Germany which is still a pro league. Some day we were hooping for fun on a outdoor court and my friend was adapting to our level and goofed around. Some dude saw that and thought its time to challenge the semi-pro who he saw playing every weekend. The challenging guy was also a hooper but not a pro^^
After a few minutes of trash talk the game begun and the challenger got whooped 21-0 and 21-0 and my friend was drinking the night before
Those second division guys in Germany were (are) good). I hooped on a lower-level club team in Germany, and would go to the nearby town to watch the Bundesliga guys practicing. Sometimes they'd let a couple of us play with them for fun (or when they were down some players). It was fun to play practice games with them, but there was no doubt I couldn't hang with them in a real game.
It's the same for every sport. I practice Judo (a Japanese martial art, been practicing for 5 years consistently at that point) and I would say I'm a solid weekend warrior middle of the pack at the local dojo, competed in a couple local tournaments with a pretty even 50/50 on wins/loss. So basically nothing crazy in my dojo but don't usually get embarrassed. One day, my dojo had a couple HIGH SCHOOLERS from Japan visiting us, these guys are basically top level in their HS and they are trying to get a spot on the university team (so think D1) and they were telling me they might not make it to the main team, maybe back up team (I was mid 30s). Anyway, in sparring sessions, they destroyed everyone at my local gym with ease and didn't even break a sweat (but mostly through techniques and they went easy on the strength part). They were able to stay so relaxed, imposing at will, not even going full speed, half of the time they were talking to people that were watching while their opponents were focused and going 100%
I knew there were levels to this. But this was when I truly understood that the average Joe is SO FAR away from the pro.
Same thing happened to me in jiu jitsu. Got turned into a pretzel by a kid who had to at least be 30 lbs lighter than me.
I wish more pro athletes would talk about what its like to compete at that level. People just don't understand how special pros actually are.
My dad told me my uncle once signed up for a "tryouts" with an mlb team back in the day (Cardinals I think), it was a community thing where they invited people to come try and play for fun. He said every time the pitch was thrown he'd just hear a THUD behind him. Every time he tried he'd just hear a thud way before. Said everyone was just out there getting strikeout non stop xD
Just goes to show how full of it the Joes are. Most aren’t even the best at the job, career they have. Yet feel they can go against guys who eat shit breathe basketball. Scalabrine may have been a bum in relation his peers (pros) but definitely not the Joes.
@@seankeegan8285I remember them breaking down Randy Johnson’s height and arm length and how it affected his pitches. Something along the lines of you can’t see his fastball at certain speeds.
I see it with fighting. I’ve been training in at least 1 martial art at all times for the last 30 years. I’m by no means at a world class level at any of them. Plus, I’m old now. But when I hear young guys first starting out, talking crap, I just have to laugh. They have no clue as to how helpless they would be if they went up against someone with decades of technique and experience. They usually discover that fact rather quickly.
Lot of NBA players have Podcast. You literally can listen to them after games just give their take on what happens. On PG podcast, the first thing his last podcast was talking about was Bron dunking on him. It was funny to listen to.
He did the basketball equivalent of going to all these haters' dojos and breaking their dojo signs in front of them to silence them. Gotta love it.
At 6'9" 250 with his hand eye coordination and knowledge, non pros just don't stand a chance against Scal. He's a good sport but play him and realize how helpless you are
Not helpless at all
@@gabydize wym
@@Samuel-qg2bh I mean the amount of nba talent~worthy people that take a wrong turn in life and don’t take advantage of their talents at the right time is sizable. There’s individuals out there that have more talent and knowledge than an NBA player who,was always in the bottom 3 % of the entire league ; few in general but they’re out there .
@@gabydize but you are discounting the effect that playing in the NBA has on a person. Simply having NBA-level talent is fine, but the league will still make that person much, much, MUCH better. Talent or athletic ability is not everything.
@@76JStucki I do agree with that 👍
I love that Brian played with his reputation. He definitely knows he wasn't the best in the league but he also knows all the hate/disrepect on his abilities were over the top.
From 15 to 25 I used to play a lot of pick up basketball. Trough the years I've played with all kinds of players you can imagine in a pick up setting. Some of those guys were really good but at any point I was able to at least hang around. I was able to be on the same court and never get embarrassed. Now keep in mind none of these guys ever played professionaly at any level. A few guys did play in some clubs and got payed a little bit of money but I wouldn't call that playing real pro basketball. I was able to keep up. That is untill I played against a guy who was in his late 30's and used to play for a big club in Serbia called Belgrade Red Star or better known as Crvena Zvezda. He wasn't even a big player at the club. He was a bench warmer. But playing with him was a pure joy. He would always find you in the right position to score. He would give you the best advice on how to move. What to do. And he never ever forced anything. Every shot came to him naturally. Outside or inside. He also didn't do that much running. It seemed like he never broke a sweat yet he was completly dominant. At that point I realized what it means to play against a guy that's good at pick up basketball or somebody who had contact with professional basketball..... trust me guys. You are not as good as you thnk you are.
Hes so smart and entertaining. In the middle of your move I can figure out what Im having for dinner and still challenge your shot. Kills me
I heard about the Scallenge not long ago and checked it out. Very interesting.
For the kids: That bit with the speed ladder is important. It helps with developing ankle strength and proper sequencing to be efficient when moving around. General quickness would go up too as a bonus. Quickness is Kobe's, D-Wade's and Jordan's best physical asset. Quickness also entails they can jump even in the tightest of spaces
There are much much better ways to train your ankle stability and quickness than a speed ladder. It does help with coordination though
Jordan's best asset was his jumping ability. He was not that fast.
I played against some D2 players. There is a reason I was a wrestler in high school and not a basketball player. They did love the picks I set for them though and I was just as physical as they were. They were leaps and bounds beyond me in basketball ability. I played with some high D1 players and it was simply amazing what they could do. They were bigger, faster and stronger. Amazing athletes. Now we are all old.
This is one of the most enjoyable sports related interviews I ever watched. Loved his honesty and openness without being arrogant.
It makes me so happy to be a Celtics fan since he’s our color commentator. Scal’s realtime analysis and color commentary is way better than most (if not every) other local broadcast, and definitely better than every national broadcast.
I've played basketball my whole life and I would love to play 1 on 1 with a current or former NBA player.
Not with any illusion of winning, but just to see up close how amazing they are. Hell just standing courtside at an Orlando magic game when Shaq was still here was awesome. On TV you can't get the full measure of just how big and fast everyone is. Even the players that Shaq made look small are giants compared to most people.
Ya u could beat them This guy is talking bs
@@treetrunkexpress8684 ur delusional
The sad part is they would probably take it easy on you
I wonder how many average basketball players are needed to defeat a single pro (e.g. Scalabrine vs college players, but instead of facing them one by one, there are two or more college players on the field simultaneously; how many college players are needed at the same time to defeat Scalabrine?)
similarly, I wonder how many college players are needed on the same field to win against a full NBA team, though that's going to be very impractical to test and it would be very chaotic
That Lebron quote is legendary stuff lol
I love what he says about the speed ladder and doing it everyday. I've been coaching youth baseball this summer, and these kids get so bored at doing fundamental work such as two hands drip, working on footwork, and etc. They just want to throw, hit, and catch, but without enough attention to detail or proper mechanics. I consistently tell them that major leaguers do these drills everyday, but they do not care.
Make them look at Luka. For me Luka is a fundamentally sound player. He doesn't have the explosiveness and athletism to blow by defenders but he is fundamentally sound that he can get pass through tough defense
Instant gratification
@@NickHolasss Sounds a lot like kids.
@@ciaojay7025 same with paul pierce, slow unathletic players that can get any where and do whatever they wanted on the court
@@ciaojay7025 Luka doesn't play baseball
Makes me want a Scal jersey. I love how he explained exactly what would make Mullin, Bird and all other legends great regardless of the era...basketball IQ. How he explained "tells" and how he'd figure out opponents, it's crazy how close that is to something like competitive video games like street fighter. I never thought of it like that.
Mullin's my fave player. Bird mentioned many times that he's the best shooter he's ever seen/ played against. bird and mullin(mully his nickname) as you have said have a very hi basketball IQ.
Mullin is one of my fave Warriors player. He would go to different hoods in the ghettos and just straight up destroy everyone lmao. but yeah... mullin and bird are not freakishly athletic by any means but just had hi basketball IQ
He had to work constantly on basketball just to stay in the NBA and we was a great college player to begin with. But in a world where everyone thinks they are special without credentials it's nice to see someone out there (gently) putting people in their place.
30 teams in the NBA. 15 guys on each roster for a total of 450. You take the absolute worse guy in the NBA, the guy who hardly ever plays, most of his stats start with a .0 somethin'. He's basically a moving cone/ rebounder during practice. But that guy is still the 450th best basketball player on a planet of over 7 billion people. You might be hoopin at the YMCA...but Mr. 450 will destroy you without breaking a sweat. Guaranteed.
It's sad that this isn't obvious to some people.
Scal would avg 40 in every single rec league in America
The 450th NBA guy is more like the 800th player in the world. There is basketball outside the US dude...
@@amjan why would better players not play in the NBA?
@@majorwakanda8858 because you can make good money playing in Europe? Or be a fringe NBA player trying to scrap and claw to make a minimum contract, or make 2-3M per season overseas.
White Mamba: "I'm closer to Lebron than you are to me"
Apocalypse: "I am as far beyond Mutants as they are beyond you"
Love these quotes lol
classic quote, one of the best episodes of X men Beyond Good and Evil
X-Men from 90's cartoon
I've been using referencing this Apocalypse quote for a very long time
"I am the rock of the eternal shore; crash against me and be broken!"
Is this the Duncan on the Miami Heat ? Nice hearing the professional mindset of Brian S. being a NBA Pro. :)
He understands the game so well. If you listen to him when he is broadcasting the celtics games he is always calling out plays before they happen. explains sets and why they arnt working, calls out adjustments that need to be made that end up being made. He just understands the game better than people recognize!
@@jessejamesgames8148 Brian was a USC Trojan and played on Warriors is all I knew about him. I underestimated him as a big slow white dude !
@@getsmartpaul Won a championship in Boston, He got a ring :D
Yes
@@jessejamesgames8148 oh nice, that’s why he got Celtics TV analyst job
1000000000000% agree - no matter how "bad" an NBA player, these cats are unreal. I was able to play w/Mitchell Butler (UCLA) and Duane Cooper (USC) way back in the day. These two guys were not exactly big time NBA players. They could do EVERYTHING better than anyone I had ever seen. The two best shooters I have ever witnessed in person, almost never missed. They were so strong, so fast, so athletic, etc. They knew what you were going to do before you did and beat you at every step. All NBA level guys are truly amazing players.
It's honestly crazy how good at shooting NBA players are when they're not being guarded by other NBA players. I think the fact that so many guys seem pedestrian when it comes to shooting in games also shows how big of a factor nerves play as well.
@@Jkev24nerves yes. They’re playing in front of the world! Kind of crazy to think about
It just goes to show how much work goes to into playing defense at the NBA level. Because neither Scal or Duncan are considered top tier defensive players. But they still had to put in so much work defensively just to even get on the floor. Stuff we will never know or experience.
that was hilarious. “i don’t suck compared to you” haha
The guy was probably going against KG every day in practice. Some 6 foot guy who was good in High School was probably not too tough.
forreal you already know KG and Pierce were throwing his shit every day haha
@@zacharypeterson4178 That’s how you know he wasn’t BS ing when he said he went into backyard pickup games in not so friendly areas. KG is like the final street hoop boss persona.
Lmao KG ain’t tough, all bark no bite. Countless videos of him running away after wanting smoke
@@youngswoll3 “countless” besides the melo fight that never happened, what other times? (lol at Carmelo Anthony actually beating up KG)
@@youngswoll3 to be fair ... That was kind of his job ... He didn't fight, he only wanted to get in your head ... If you wanted to fight him outside the game, that probably means he did a good job. That doesn't mean KG wasn't a though guy inside the court.
I’ve had this channel name for years, glad to see the goat on here
I remember doing a run with Jalen Leque back when he was still in high school. He plays for the Suns now but even back then, he was easily far better than anyone else I’ve ever played against
This is such a gem of an interview. I always loved Scal precisely because of how much he looked like he didn't belong, but you knew deep down he did. I loved him on the Nets in those 00s teams especially.
“I just wanted to do it for me” respect. I’m in the process of traveling to every country in the world. Don’t know if I want to start a social media and share. It’s just for me.
"I'm Brian Scalabrine. You know who I am. Y'all know who I am"
- Scal on every street hoopers he beat 1 on 1
What happened with Kwame brown?
@@essentialpost he would school you too
"Scal is comin' Yo!"
Scal is the Omar from the Wire.
RIP to the homer Tommy Heinsohn, but I like that Scal is the color commentator for the Celtics, he just reads and knows how the game is played.
WTF
He's a great color guy, but his post-game programs and other segments on NBC can be cringe-worthy. He is a little arrogant and standoffish with other hosts like Abby Chin
I remember his best game in the 2004 playoffs against the Pistons in Game 5. He can't miss and was so crucial in the closing minutes coz Kenyon and Collins fouled out. He is a good role player really.
Dude I remember being so annoyed at how effective he was
Scal is awesome. My two sons and I got off an elevator at the TD Garden and as the doors opened, there was seven foot, red headed Scal who IMMEDIATELY knew the assignment: Make this moment special for this dad and his 2 sons. Big smile, hand shakes, talked us up, wished us a great night. Awesome guy. Plus a sick announcer.
Dude Scalabrine is such a likeable guy!
This guy is really professional and insanely godlike on the court. He's a legend and I'd be inspired if I even met him and shot around with him.
Not just that Nba players played all levels so u can’t beat them even Jared Dudley would give anybody buckets
Let’s not get carried away.
🤣🤣
@@JBRam7 he would
@@zzz.tyrone I agree I’m just messing around cause it’s Dudley
Dudley got a clean 3 point game
I’d get buckets on old duds easily
Not only did Scal play in the NBA but he was part of the ‘08 Celtics… That team was legendary.
Scal is being humble, he was a solid NBA player! I watched him growing up, he had really good defense, high IQ, a nice jump shot and could get 🔥 hot, and the red hair & energy was definitely his trademark. For any athletes listening he really dropped a ton of wisdom in a short time...
😂 " you suck compared to me" ...classic
Wait, is this seriously Duncan Robinson's TH-cam channel?? I didn't know he had a channel!
Definitely subscribing.
Uh yea
Dude is 6'9" and played in the NBA for a decade. What normal person thinks they are better than him?
Damn one of the most insightful interviews and accounts of what it’s like to play nba ball. Thanks Scal. Oakland Ca supports and salute u family ✊🏿🔥⬆️💯✅
Scalabrine explaining how normal life and school is so difficult but you find that one thing that clicks with you and makes you feel like it all makes sense. It really speaks to me. I can hardly do clothes washing but I could rewire an entire house without a second thought. Because it makes sense, nothing else did at the time I was young. Small talk, communication being hard, just let me do what I am good at.
Dudes who think they can hang with an NBA player are like guys thinking they can perform surgery because they picked a splinter out of their finger. It ain't even close.
comparing the two is silly, on one hand if youre able to stick out the school, training, and repetition for your doctorate then youre probably competent for the career, whereas the other is just an unreachable plateau of natural born skill and athletics that the normal person could never achieve
@@CriTicOfsOrtsI mean most average joe's skill in basketball is also more than what it takes to take out a splinter. It's a fair comparison of magnitude. Remember that he's not directly comparing surgery to the NBA.
Let's be realistic. The biggest 'skill' that NBA players have is their height.
Love this pod, loved Scal. Shout out to him for an excellent career.
It's crazy how some people don't understand what kind of talent it takes to play at certain levels. Whether it's D3, overseas or semi-pro. A guy that plays overseas is going to destroy your average street hooper. That's speaking from personal experience. To think that you could easily take even a scrub NBA player makes you delusional.
Its the height as well. How many 6’9 guys do you know? Fans are delusional about height
@@HkFinn83 yea what I’ve found is that unless your are playing a real slow big guy, it’s hard to defend people 3+ inches taller than you, that’s why DBook won’t be guarding Giannis in the Finals
@@HkFinn83 and not just 6'9" ..... 6'9" moving like a 5'10" dude. that's why lebron is so scary.. 6'8", 235, moving like small
@@dcheard2 That's the crazy thing about LeBron. Sometimes I play against slow ass uncoordinated dudes around Bron's height and I am just like now imagine that this big ass dude starts running at me with the speed of a train and elevates from the free throw line to windmill on my ass.
That's why I laugh whenever guys think the NCAA Champs could beat the worst NBA team. Even the gap between NBA & D1 talent is ridiculous.
Love how Robinson has a massive grin on his face while Scal talks about sports being the only place he was comfortable growing up. Bet that one hit home.
Scal is so insightful. I will remember his 2008 interview after winning the finals for the rest of my life.
He's the real legend! By the way, these Duncan's podcasts are awesome, just so lively.
I was a ball boy for two seasons. White mamba came through as a broadcaster both years and sat on the bench during half time with us ball boys just shooting the breeze. Awesome guy
Scal is the perfect level of confidence without being cocky
"I didn't put it to instagram. I actually just want to do it for me" what a real man. I need more like this in my life
I played a pickup game in college at Alabama in the early 1990's with 3 1st rd picks in it (Latrell Spreewell, Robert Horry, James Robinson). I remember feeling like they were another species of human after getting tomahawk dunked on by Spreewell
The one thing you should have took from the scalabrine challenge is, how hard it is to make/stay in the NBA, even as a low tier player.
"Im closer to LeBron than you are to me"
Heres the way I see it
10-LeBron, MJ, Kareem ect
9- Everyone with significant playing time
8-Scal
7- Overseas pros
6- Average D1
5- Average D2 D3
4- D3 Benchwarmer
3-Best players at your park/gym
2-Average bum
1- That guy that thinks he has handles but never passes and misses all his shots
lol this is pretty good. #2 could add HS all star for their 10 mile radius who now will still be in local bars talking about that night they had 27 points and how they would have won state if only ....
Lebron shouldnt be on that list with Kareem/MJ
There are a lot of overseas pros who are much better than NBA bench warmers.
@@xristosrizos8406 doubt it.... I think anyone who can play in the NBA and make that kind of money definitely would. And if there's talent overseas, why don't they stay there? Sure you have a very small select group... like Jimmer, who doesn't ever want to play off the bench, so he goes overseas and scores 40 a game and is a legend. Then theres people like PJ tucker who do very well overseas but jump at the chance to get back in the NBA even as a solid role player. Or Boban.... he was a superstar overseas and he chose NBA as limited role player over being an MVP caliber player over there. Obviously here he has the money and fame that couldn't be matched there.
@@Lhansmeyer33 Boban was never a superstar overseas. He never played in a contender team. And Jimmer tried to play the Euroleague but he was extremely weak defensively in order to have an impact. There are a lot of european players who find minutes overseas but were never stars in the Euroleague. I am not saying that the Euroleague is close to the NBA, but it has some players that are definitely better than NBA bench warmers.
My HS coach was a pro baller, 6'3" pointguard, our best player, dad. he coached us while he was playing too, so sometimes he wouldnt show up to practice or games etc, but he taught us sooo much more than anyone else, bball knowledge, even profouls, he would play us in practice, hit half court shots at will, not just once im talking like 99% every shot went in. He was so fast he would pick everyones pocket, block us all the time, play 3 v 1 and still kill us, while laughing. Then one day they both just left. it still bugs me today 25 years later they just vanished.
Probably new contract if so I’m happy for ur coach
This just shows you the level of talent you have to have to be an NBA player.
I’m a very good amateur tennis player. I have played tour tennis pros and i know exactly what he is talking about reading shots. I can hit my best shot and they are moving to the spot before my racket makes contact.
Petition for Duncan to stay in Miami!
Sign here
Duncan to Boston 😈
I signed
@@hunterfoor1917 actually I would love that!
signed
he def wants to go to Boston
There are like 6000 Div I players, and if you ever played with one you know that is not a low level.Only like 50 of them get drafted every year, so these are already the very elite. Of these, like 15-18 end up sticking for more more than 3-4 years.
You must be extremely elite to play for 11 years.
Look up my guy Pooh Jeter, played one season in the nba and avg 4 ppg. He played a game in the drew league and absolutely destroyed some of the best talent in LA. The competition is a different level y’all, these dudes get paid to play ball for a reason. Just because they look avg against elite talent, doesn’t mean they’d look that way against you lol.
Can we appreciate these voices?
You have great voices to do what you do.
Congrats.
Scal is my absolute favorite. If you own who you are and just try to be the best you can be everyday you can die happy and with no regrets.
There are guys in the league with way more talent, making way more money but they don’t seem happy. They let other ppl and things out of their control get them down.
Scal looks happy AF. And I’m happy for him.
To those who never played in any level of game against an NBA player just doon't understand how good these guys really are...BUT the main thing that people underestimate is their level of athleticism at their SIZE!
Not only are they most skilled, they also have RARE body types!
And that you cannot teach or develop!
I was in awe back in 1989 when I was in high school, and stood right next to the Phoenix sun's players as they walked off the court. Especially Tom Chambers4. Being that tall and that athletic
Muggsy (5'3"), Spud (5'7") and Nate (5'9"). Small players that are insane. It would be cool seeing them in their primes or what Scal did against regulars
So many fools out there. Thousands upon thousands play basketball around the globe in high school/college/club teams and there are maybe 750 NBA players…IN THE WORLD. They are elite and it’s no accident.
There are ~450 NBA players at any given time.
But yes your point is true as there are probably 200,000 male players past age 18 in the world, not including casual weekend players.
Quick story… I played D2 college baseball and one practice our coach brought in a guy who was a high level minor league pitcher (he got hurt and it derailed his MLB career) to throw against us. Short story long, he made most of us look fairly silly with a 12-6 curveball that started at our hips and had guys ducking yet it was a strike. Average fans who’ve never played at a high level have zero clue how good pro athletes are. You have ZERO chance competing against them! ZERO!!
but at the same time, college athletes leave for the these professional leagues so surely there have to be SOME people out there who can at least somewhat keep up
@FullTimeSlacker II yes, small percent who in turn become pros themselves
He’s sharing more than most NBA players ever will.
Scalabrine is a beast!
My favorite joke. "The professor against any NBA player.
Everyone has a plan until the Professor doinks a ball off their forehead.
Keeping it real. People who get signed to play in the NBA (or even just get drafted) and get paid the amount of money that they receive just to play basketball ARE IN THE NBA BECAUSE their basketball skills are OUTSTANDING AND ABOVE AVERAGE THAN ANYONE ELSE out there during that point in time. And ON TOP OF THAT, they are blessed with height, heft, strength and athleticism. No one will pay you that much money if your basketball skills are just the same as everyone else's out there.
Chris Paul ain’t blessed with height. 😂
@@AustinMulkaMusic if Chris Paul was 5'7 he would be doing a podcast with Isiah Thomas . He wasn't super blessed with height but his talent makes up for it.
Damn bro your pretty smart, how'd you figure that out? I've been watching the NBA for over twenty years but didn't know that.
... Kwame brown ...? Sometimes athleticism and size will be enough for first contract. Gambling on potential as it were.
@@rahowherox1177 Keame didn’t stay in the league for 12 years because he’s a bum? Should he have been drafted #1? Probably not. But to say he didn’t belong is incorrect.
Not only NBA but also anyone in the G-League, Overseas, NCAA Division I, or NCAA Division II would come onto the court and dust us.
Exactly when you playing for a paycheck it’s chess not checkers…it’s no longer a game it’s business
I could listen to this stuff for hours man, such a great interview.
I was a pretty good shooter and defender when I played regularly as a hobby. But even then, I couldn't compete when I took the court against a former college player who was about my size (6'1", slim build) and happened to live in my neighborhood. For a recreational baller to think they can compete with a much bigger former NBA player is insane.
its only because scal is white... its the tatted dreadlocks brothas who hoop at LA fitness think they can beat him no matter what level they played... "there's no way any white boy would be better than a brotha at hoops"
Kudos to Scal. We live in the Age of Delusion. And It's sad. It depreciates everything.