Scott Burrell facts for kids

Scott David Burrell (born January 12, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at Southern Connecticut State University. Scott is special because he was the first athlete ever to be picked in the first round of two different professional sports leagues: Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In 1990, the Toronto Blue Jays picked Scott for baseball. He played in the minor leagues for two years. After that, he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA in 1993. He later played for the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls, where he won an NBA championship! He also played for the New Jersey Nets and finished his NBA career with the Hornets in 2001. Scott continued to play professional basketball in other leagues until 2006.

Early Life and Sports Talents

Scott Burrell was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He grew up in a nearby town called Hamden. At Hamden High School, Scott was a star in many sports. He played basketball, was a quarterback in football, and a pitcher in baseball.

In 1989, after high school, the Seattle Mariners picked him in the first round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft. Scott first planned to play baseball at the University of Miami. But then, a basketball coach from the University of Connecticut convinced him to play basketball there instead.

College Basketball Career

From 1989 to 1993, Scott played basketball for the Connecticut Huskies. He played as a guard and a forward. In his first year, he scored about 8.2 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game.

In 1990, another baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays, drafted him. Scott spent the next two summers playing minor league baseball. Even with his baseball career, he kept playing basketball.

Scott had an amazing college career. He became the first player in NCAA history to get over 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 275 assists, and 300 steals. He is famous for a special play in 1990. With only one second left, he threw a full-court pass to a teammate, Tate George. Tate then made a shot as time ran out, helping the Huskies beat Clemson in a big tournament game.

Scott went back to college later and earned his degree in 2010.

Professional Sports Journey

Playing Minor League Baseball

After being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1990, Scott played as a pitcher in minor league baseball. He played for teams like the St. Catharines Blue Jays and the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes in 1990 and 1991. As a pitcher, he had a record of 2 wins and 6 losses.

NBA Career with the Charlotte Hornets

In 1993, the Charlotte Hornets picked Scott as the 20th player in the 1993 NBA draft. In his first year, he scored 4.8 points per game. He missed some games due to injuries to his knee, ankle, and Achilles tendon.

In the 1994–95 season, Scott played in 65 games and started 62 of them. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. He was even one of the top players considered for the NBA Most Improved Player Award. He also competed in the AT&T Long-Distance Shootout, a three-point shooting contest. The next season, he played only 20 games because of more injuries, including surgery on his Achilles tendon. After that, he mostly played as a substitute player.

Later NBA Teams

In 1997, the Hornets traded Scott to the Golden State Warriors. He then averaged 5.9 points that season. Later that year, the Warriors traded him to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls' general manager, Jerry Krause, wanted Scott because he could play both forward positions.

During the 1997–98 season, the Bulls won the NBA championship! Scott played in 80 games and started three of them. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.5 rebounds. In one game, he scored a season-high 24 points in just 18 minutes against the Denver Nuggets.

A TV series called The Last Dance showed Scott being a target of friendly teasing from his famous teammate, Michael Jordan. Scott helped the Bulls by guarding Jordan in practice, which made him a good match for Jordan's skills.

After the NBA lockout in 1999, the Bulls let Scott go. He then signed with the New Jersey Nets. He played with the Nets for two seasons, averaging about 6 points per game. In 2001, Scott returned to the Charlotte Hornets for four games. This was his last season in the NBA.

Playing Overseas and in Other Leagues

After his NBA career, Scott played in other professional basketball leagues. In 2002, he played for the Fayetteville Patriots in the NBDL (now called the NBA G League). He averaged 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in six games.

Scott then played internationally. He played for the Shaanxi Kylins in China, where he averaged 18 points per game in 2002–03. In 2003–04, he played for the Batang Thunder in the Philippines, averaging 25.1 points.

He returned to the U.S. in 2004 to play for the Idaho Stampede in the Continental Basketball Association. He played 14 games, averaging 6.9 points. In 2005, Scott played for Bilbao Basket in Spain and then for the Hitachi Sunrockers in Japan. He finished his professional playing career with Hitachi in 2006.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, Scott Burrell became a coach. In the 2006–07 season, he was an assistant coach for the Colorado 14ers in the NBA D-League.

In 2007, Scott became an assistant coach for the Quinnipiac Bobcats men's basketball team at Quinnipiac University. He helped Quinnipiac win a conference title in 2010.

In 2015, Scott was hired as the head men's basketball coach at Southern Connecticut State University. This is a Division II school. In his first season, he led the Southern Connecticut Fighting Owls to a great 22–8 record. They won their division title and made it to the NCAA tournament. Because of this success, Scott was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

He continued to lead the team to success, including another NCAA tournament appearance in 2017. As of the 2019–20 season, Scott has a strong coaching record at Southern Connecticut.

Personal Life

After the Chicago Bulls won the championship in 1998, the Governor of Connecticut, John G. Rowland, declared October 20, 1998, as "Scott Burrell Day." This happened after his hometown of Hamden gave him a "key to the city."

Scott is married to Jeané Coakley, who is a sports reporter. They have two children. His niece, Alycia Washington, is also an athlete who plays rugby for the USA Eagles women's team.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

College Stats

See also

In Spanish: Scott Burrell para niños