Fred Scolari

Fred J. Scolari (March 1, 1922 in San Francisco, California – October 17, 2002 in San Ramon, California) was an American professional basketball player. At 5'10", he played the guard position.

Though he was blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, and often overweight, Scolari excelled in basketball at Galileo High School and the University of San Francisco. In 1946, he joined the Washington Capitols of the Basketball Association of America (now the NBA), and he went on to have a nine-year (1946–1955) professional career with the Capitols, Syracuse Nationals, Baltimore Bullets, Fort Wayne Pistons, and Boston Celtics. Scolari became known for his unorthodox, yet effective, shooting style, in which he released the ball from his hip. He was also a well-regarded defender, and he received All-BAA honors in 1947 and 1948.

After his basketball career ended, Scolari became a successful insurance salesman. He later served as director of the Salesian Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco. In 1998, he was elected to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

External links

* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/scolafr01.html Career statistics]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/23/SP121516.DTL Obituary] from "San Francisco Chronicle"