OTISFIELD – For five years, Boston Celtics’ forward Brian Scalabrine has come back to the Seeds of Peace camp on the shores of Pleasant Lake in rural Oxford County, lending his time and talent to the annual Play for Peace basketball clinic.

This time, though, he returned with a little extra bounce in his step, and with a grin just a bit wider than it was the last time. This year, Scalabrine returned to camp as a world champion.

“Especially with my man (Los Angeles Lakers’ guard) Jordan Farmar out here, I can rub it in a little,” Scalabrine said with a grin, and just loud enough for Farmar to overhear him some 40 feet away.

“Really, though,” Scalabrine continued, “It’s all about the kids out here. It’s about teamwork, about working together. I’ve been doing this, this is my fifth year now, and every year I get more and more involved.”

“I was teasing him last night about how someday he’ll be a coach,” Seeds of Peace Camp Assistant Director Wil Smith said. “He claims he’ll never become a coach, but I keep telling him, ‘It’s in your blood, man.'”

Scalabrine is still very happy running the floor, though, thank you very much, and this last season was easily the highlight of his NBA career. A New Jersey Nets draft pick in 2001, Scalabrine signed a 5-year deal with the Boston Celtics in 2005. Three years later, the 6-foot-9 forward is busier than ever, thanks to an NBA title.

“I’ve been running around a lot, seeing a lot of people,” Scalabrine said. “When you’re a world champion, there’s a lot more demand. It’s funny, though. I played a lot more the season before we won, but I’ve been more recognized this year, having been in the finals and winning the championship.”

Scalabrine did not log many minutes in the playoffs, often overshadowed by the Celtics’ revamped offense and their big three of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

“I’m never bothered by that, honestly,” Scalabrine said. “It’s the truth, without those three, we couldn’t have done it, just like we probably couldn’t have done it without a guy like James Posey, either.”

On the other end of the court, Farmar was having his fun, too, but realized, as did Scalabrine, that the reason they were here in the first place wasn’t to talk about what they’d done, but to impart their knowledge and leadership on a younger generation: Kids from across the globe gathered together in the hope of planting seeds of peace.

“The reason we’re here is a reason much bigger, much greater than the game of basketball,” Farmar said. “We have a good time, though, and we’re friends off the court, too. I’m very happy for Brian that he’s got that ring. Now we just have to work harder and get ours this year.”