Brian Scalabrine usually takes the banter from fans as the poster boy of bench warmers in the NBA.

However, in hindsight, Scalabrine actually carved out a pretty lengthy NBA career. Scal played 11 seasons in the NBA. Not bad for a perennial role player.

In a recent interview with HoopsHype, Scalabrine was asked on how fans noticed how much fun he had just being in the NBA – and staying there for 11 years. In answering the question, the 41-year old admitted that Jason Kidd, now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, had a lot to do in helping him survive in the NBA that long:

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BS: Yeah, for sure. All of that is fine, but I’m also working out five hours a day. I appreciate the opportunity, but I’m very serious in watching my film before a game and being prepared and I want to do well. But I do come across as [happy to be here], which I am! I know how fortunate I was to be a 23-year-old kid that was drafted by a team that went to the NBA Finals and made me a rotational player. And to add one more element to that: Jason Kidd made me way better than I ever was. Playing on his team allowed me to play 11 years in the NBA. I could’ve been drafted by another team and been out of the NBA in three months and I would’ve been playing overseas. I probably could’ve had a decent career overseas. I never would’ve played 11 seasons in the NBA if it wasn’t for Jason Kidd.

Scalabrine, a second round selection in 2001, was with the Jason Kidd-led New Jersey Nets squad that made the Finals two years in a row in the early 2000's.

The 6-foot-9 power forward played 590 career games, and averaged just 13 minutes per game. He had stints with the Nets, the Chicago Bulls, and the Boston Celtics, where he was immortalized a champion in 2008.

Despite riding the bench for most of his career, the man they call The White Mamba has made himself an iconic figure among fans with his energy and charisma on and off the court.