Former Bulls forward Brian Scalabrine turned down an assistant coaching job and will instead broadcast Celtics games for Comcast Sports New England, reports Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brian Scalabrine has turned down coaching job with Bulls and will call games for Comcast Sports New England this season, he tells Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) September 06, 2012

Scalabrine had chance to join Tom Thibodeau's coaching staff and says, "Saying no to Thibs was the hardest decision I've ever had to make."—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) September 06, 2012

Scalabrine played for the Celtics for five years prior to joining the Bulls in 2010. He averaged 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds and 4.6 minutes per game during his two seasons with the Bulls and became a free agent at the end of last year. While the “White Mamba” may not be done playing altogether–he’s left open the possibility of playing overseas in January–he likely won’t be returning to the NBA.

Scalabrine isn't prepared to say he's retired from playing in the NBA but concedes, "I had zero opportunities. Not some, but zero."—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) September 06, 2012

The decision doesn’t come as a big surprise, as the 11-year veteran told ESPNChicago in January that he preferred a broadcasting job over an NBA coaching position.

Brian Scalabrine may be donning a suit on the Bulls’ bench next season. (Gary Dineen/Getty Images)

Brian Scalabrine, the long-time bench-warmer known as the “White Mamba,” may be joining Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff with the Bulls this season, reports CSNChicago.com.

Scalabrine has played for the Bulls the past two seasons, and he also played for the Celtics when Thibodeau was an assistant there. He is considered a “front-runner” for the last open assistant coach position, the report states.

Scalabrine, 34, averaged 1.1 points per game with the Bulls. He had said he hoped to keep playing, but it doesn’t appear he has received any offers.

If Scalabrine has hopes of a coaching career, starting with the Bulls and Thibodeau would make sense. He could provide the coaching staff with a different perspective because of his familiarity with the team and his experience playing with and against many players in the NBA.