Mike Scott is the Best

With 2:20 left in the first quarter of the Sixers’ statement victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, Boban Marjanovic decided to try his (enormous) hand at a jump shot. A long two, to be more specific. Normally an ill-advised decision for the big man, we can now thank our lucky stars that he did. The shot, of course, did not go in, but instead ricocheted off the rim and headed towards the first row of courtside fans.

In walks our hero.

It was a perfectly exciting and hilarious sequence amidst a Sixers season that’s been short on neither. Mike Scott notices the loose ball, careens into the crowd to save it, saves it (thus setting up T.J. McConnell for an on-brand mid-range jumper), and then, while draped by a group of rich Milwaukee fans, grabs hold of a woman’s cup for a quick sip before running back onto the court. After they stopped laughing, the first question on many Sixers fans’ minds was: what was in the cup?

Beer?

Diet Coke?

Iced tea?

None of the above.

That’s right. In the midst of a close game against the best team in the NBA, Mike Scott imbibed some Jack Daniels while in the crowd as play continued.

It was a great moment that at once encapsulated the player and the man.

I’m thinking it’s high time to appreciate Mike Scott for who he is. If you’re interested in some in-depth basketball analysis of Scott’s game, look no further than Dave Early’s thorough breakdown.

He always wears hockey jerseys

To and from games, Scott most commonly dons a different customized hockey jersey.

As far as I know, he’s not a hockey fan. (Editor’s Note: He’s not, recently revealing he’s never been to a hockey game.) It’s a very cool and unique look, and feels like a nod to the eccentricity and individuality of the man, himself. A few years ago, the Washington Post interviewed Scott about his collection:

For those keeping score at home, Scott has personalized hockey jerseys with the following names embroidered on the back:

HAHA

EMOJI

YOU COOKED (a charming euphemism that Scott says denotes ‘You Ugly’)

WHOLILBABY (according to Scott, when a small guard defends him in the post, he inquires: who lil baby is that?)

The jerseys are a great wrinkle in The Legend of Mike Scott, and he occasionally posts them on his Instagram.

His name is Michael Scott

Michael Scott is, of course, the name of the lead character of the American version of The Office on NBC. Whatever you think about the show (it was great), Michael Scott is one of the most gif-friendly and quotable characters in the history of modern sitcoms. This, of course, makes our very own Michael Scott (The Threegional Manager) particularly ripe for social media content whenever he does something particularly good or questionable.

After his whiskey-sip yesterday:

After hitting a big 3:

After Zach LaVine scores his 90th point of the game to put the Bulls ahead down the stretch:

If, for some inexplicable reason, the Sixers don’t resign Scott this July, I hereby demand that they sign a role player with an equally funny name. Unless there’s a Ron Swanson I don’t know about who’s climbing the G League ladder, Scott has to be our guy.

He’s feisty

This is important. On most championship contenders, you need at least one guy to stick his neck out for the stars in case things get dicey. Noted snake Joshua Harris does not want to see Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons tussling in the second round of the playoffs. They’re too precious to the franchise both short- and long-term to be throwing haymakers around Tony Brothers. But Mike Scott knows his role.

For example, check out Scott after Enes Kanter gets mad at Simmons for scoring too well:

Ben coolly walks away as #1 steps in.

Or here, as Scott doles out a hard, professional foul on Jordan Bell, who was none too pleased. The two go nose-to-nose:

Here is a definitive power ranking of Players Mike Scott Is Most Likely to Fight During the Playoffs:

5. Reggie Jackson

4. Ed Davis

3. Blake Griffin

2. Marcus Smart

1. Serge Ibaka

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To sum it up: Mike Scott is the best. He’s got tons of cool hockey jerseys, a great name, and he’s down to fight people if things go left. He shoots 40 percent from 3, blah blah — he’s great. He knows his role and has a number of lovably unique idiosyncrasies that make him an invaluable member of this Sixers rotation as they surge toward the playoffs.