Background and career
Scott David Burrell (born January 12, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the men's basketball head coach at Southern Connecticut State University. He has played internationally and was also a professional baseball player, being the first athlete to ever be drafted in the 1st round of two professional leagues (MLB, NBA). In 1990, Burrell was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays of MLB. He played in Minor League Baseball during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. After ending his baseball career, he was drafted in 1993 by the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. He was later traded to the Golden State Warriors and then the Chicago Bulls, where he won a championship ring. He next played with the New Jersey Nets and then finished his NBA career with the Hornets in 2000–01. He played in other professional basketball leagues through the 2005–06 season.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Burrell was raised in nearby Hamden and attended Hamden High School. At Hamden High, in addition to basketball, Burrell was a quarterback on the football team and pitcher on the baseball team. Burrell was named to the ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Second Team as a senior in 1989. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft after graduating from high school. Burrell initially planned on attending the University of Miami to play baseball, before University of Connecticut assistant basketball coach Howie Dickenman convinced Burrell to commit to Connecticut.
From 1989 to 1993, Burrell played at guard and forward for the Connecticut Huskies under Jim Calhoun. As a freshman in 1989–90, Burrell averaged 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. In 1990, Burrell was drafted by another baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays, and Burrell spent the next two summers playing minor league baseball. As a junior in 1991–92, Burrell averaged a career high 16.3 points, and he had a career high 7.5 rebounds in 1990–91. Burrell became the first player in NCAA basketball history to compile over 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 275 assists and 300 steals. Burrell is known for his full-court pass with one second on the clock to Tate George, who hit a shot as time expired to beat Clemson in the East Regional semi-final of the 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Burrell went back to school and received his bachelor's degree in general studies from the University of Connecticut on May 8, 2010.
After being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft, Burrell was a minor league baseball pitcher from 1990 to 1991, first with the St. Catharines Blue Jays in 1990 and splitting the 1991 season between the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes and St. Catharines Blue Jays. Burrell had a 3.71 ERA and 2–6 record as a minor league pitcher.
Burrell was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 20th overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. He averaged 4.8 points per game during his rookie season, during which he missed 31 games due to knee, ankle, and Achilles tendon injuries. In the 1994–95 season, Burrell played in 65 games with 62 starts and averaged 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. Despite a season ending injury on April 1, 1995, Burrell finished third in NBA Most Improved Player Award votes. On February 11, he also finished third at the AT&T Long-Distance Shootout. During the 1995–96 NBA season, Burrell was limited to 20 games due to injuries, including Achilles tendon surgery. After that season, Burrell would play mostly off the bench.
On February 20, 1997, the Hornets traded Burrell to the Golden State Warriors for Donald Royal. Burrell averaged 5.9 points overall in 1996–97. On September 22, 1997, the Warriors traded Burrell to the Chicago Bulls for Dickey Simpkins. Bulls general manager Jerry Krause sought Burrell for his ability to play both forward spots. During the season, in which the Bulls won the NBA championship, Burrell played 80 games with three starts and averaged 5.2 points and 2.5 rebounds. On February 2, 1998, Burrell scored a season high 24 points in 18 minutes in a 111–72 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The Last Dance, a 2020 ESPN and Netflix documentary series on Burrell's Bulls teammate Michael Jordan, depicts Burrell as a common target of Jordan's competitive banter. Burrell contributed to the Bulls’ success that season by guarding Jordan in practice. His athleticism made him a good match for Jordan. Shortly after the 1998–99 NBA lockout ended, the Bulls released Burrell on January 25, 1999. Burrell signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets nearly a week later on February 3; he would average 6.6 points in 1999 and 6.1 points in 1999–2000 with the Nets. Burrell had successful hand and knee surgery on April 27, 2000. On April 10, 2001, Burrell returned to the Charlotte Hornets, where he played four games off the bench in what would be his final NBA season.
