Fred Scolari, 80; NBA Star Coached Baltimore Bullets, Led Youth Club
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Fred Scolari, 80, a two-time NBA All-Star who also coached the Baltimore Bullets during the 1951-52 season, died Oct. 17 in a San Ramon, Calif., hospital of injuries suffered in a fall down the stairs of his home in Danville.
Scolari, who played guard, joined the Basketball Assn. of America’s Washington Capitols, coached by Red Auerbach, in 1946. He also played for Baltimore, Syracuse, Fort Wayne and the Boston Celtics.
A San Francisco native whose physique earned him the nickname “Fat Freddy,” Scolari used a from-the-hip shot and an aggressive defense that helped him make the All-Star team and earned him all-pro status twice.
After leaving the NBA in 1955, he sold insurance briefly, then became executive director of the Salesian Boys and Girls Club for 31 years.
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