Rasheed Abdul Wallace
(born September 17, 1974) is an American professional basketball player.
He currently plays Center for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association.
At 6 ft 11½ in (212 cm) and 230 lb (104 kg), Wallace plays power forward or center depending on the opposition.
Originally selected out of the University of North Carolina by the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) as the fourth pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Wallace was named to the All-Rookie second team following his first season.
Following the same season he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant.
He had a career-high 42 points against the Denver Nuggets in 2000 and was a key member of the Blazers team that made it to the Western Conference Finals that same year.
Wallace had a career best 19.4 points per game in 2002 for the Blazers.
In 2004 Rasheed Wallace helped power the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title and obtained his first championship ring.
In Detroit, Wallace has become known for selfless team play and integrated with Ben Wallace to form the core of the Pistons' smothering defensive game.
He dubbed the duo "Wallace x 2" shortly after he arrived in Detroit in 2004.
On October 27, 2007, Wallace stated that the NBA is no longer like a sport, but more like the World Wrestling Federation: fake and just for money and entertainment.
NBA Commissioner David Stern rebuked him by calling his statement "disrespectful
Early Life ( as a kid )Wallace was born and raised in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He began his basketball career in Philadelphia and attended Simon Gratz High School.
He was named USA Today High School Player of the Year after the 1992-93 season and was selected first team All America by Basketball Times.
Despite limited playing time of just 19 minutes per game,
Wallace still managed to average 16 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks during his senior year. In addition to basketball, Wallace also ran track and high jumped as a teenager.
Wallace received MVP honors in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic, scoring 30 points.
College ( Amature Career )
University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith lured Wallace to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for his college years.
Smith was a revered mentor to Wallace as he was to Wallace's eventual Detroit coach Larry Brown; Wallace has indicated that this North Carolina bond with Brown helped Wallace adjust quickly to the Piston system.
During his time at North Carolina, Wallace had success in the national spotlight.
:Named a second-team All-American by the AP his second year, Wallace ranks as the leading career field goal shooter in Atlantic Coast Conference history with a .635 percentage.
Wallace helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. He left North Carolina to enter the 1995 NBA Draft after his sophomore season. Wallace was selected in the 1st round, the 4th pick overall by the Washington Bullets.
NBA Career ( His Mature career Road to the Motown )
Washington Bullets
As a rookie with the Washington Bullets, Wallace played in 65 games, of which he started 51 for the injured Chris Webber.
While mostly playing power forward, he also gained experience in the center position although being physically overmatched.
Wallace was selected to the rookie team for the All-Star Weekend. Later that year, he fractured his left thumb during a game against Orlando and could not return until the following year.
Wallace scored 655 points during his rookie season at Washington. He played 1,788 minutes.
Portland Trail Blazers
After the season, Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Rod Strickland, a move that proved beneficial for both sides.
He led the Blazers in scoring 12 times during his first season with the team,
and also ranked third in the league in field goal percentage.
However, just as his season was gaining momentum, Wallace again broke his left thumb and was forced to miss the next month of the season,
but he returned in time for a strong performance in the first round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the Blazers losing the series, Wallace's play was a bright spot that gave Blazer fans something to look forward to in 1997-98.
His next season was filled with many successes. The young superstar signed a long-term contract to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was showcased as the team's all-around player on a club with many specialists.
He began extending himself into the community more than ever, most notably with his Rasheed Wallace Foundation, but his career suffered from numerous missteps on and off the court. In the 1999-2000 NBA season, he set an NBA record with 38 technical fouls for the season. However, he would be fifth in the league in field goal percentage.
The following year, he would break his own record with 40 technicals.
Wallace was also suspended by the NBA for seven games for threatening then referee Tim Donaghy on an arena loading dock after a home game in 2003.
That was the league's longest suspension for something that did not involve violence or substance abuse.
Wallace was named an NBA All-Star in 2000 and 2001 and led the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000, losing to the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. Both teams would go on to win the NBA Finals.
The 2000 series against the Lakers was most noted for the underdog Blazers squandering a 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter of Game 7.
Atlanta Hawks
Wallace was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Wesley Person for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, and Dan Dickau.
He played only a single game for the Hawks, scoring 20 points.
He also had 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists and a steal against the New Jersey Nets.
After the game he was dealt to the Pistons in a three-way trade with the Boston Celtics.
The trade sent Wallace from the Atlanta Hawks and guard Mike James from the Boston Celtics to the Detroit Pistons.
In turn, Detroit sent guards Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter, and a first-round draft
pick to Boston and guard Bobby Sura, center Zeljko Rebraca, and a first-round draft pick to Atlanta.
The Boston Celtics also sent forward Chris Mills to Atlanta to complete the deal.
Detroit Pistons
In Detroit Wallace established himself as a regular starter. After falling behind against the Indiana Pacers in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, he stated boldly in an interview that "We will win Game 2",
a promise he helped fulfill.[11]
Wallace helped the Pistons win an unexpected NBA title, beating the heavily favored Lakers 4 games to 1.
After the championship season, he paid for replica WWE World Heavyweight Championship belts to be made for each of his teammates and presented them as gifts when the 2004-05 regular season started.
In the off-season following the Pistons' championship win, Rasheed Wallace signed a 5-year, $57 million contract to remain with Detroit.[14] He also changed the number of his jersey from #30 to #36.
Throughout the 2004-05 season, Wallace often carried the belt into his locker before games to inspire the Pistons' title defense.
On November 27, 2005, with the game tied, 35-35, Wallace protested a foul that was called against him on Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut.
When Bogut missed both free throws, Wallace remarked "Ball Don't Lie" which has since become a well-known basketball catch phrase.
He had several notable moments in the playoffs. After the second-round elimination of the Pacers, Wallace played his best series of the postseason in the Eastern Conference finals against the top-seeded Miami Heat.
After falling behind again, he again "guaranteed success". He shot a 50% field goal percentage and averaged 14.5 points per game in the series' seven games, and saved his hottest-shooting night for the decisive Game 7.
Against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, Wallace was criticized for leaving Robert Horry, one of the greatest clutch shooters of all time, open for the game-winning three-pointer in Game 5.
Wallace's tenacious defense and clutch shooting helped the Pistons to split the series 3-3,but in the final game, the Pistons lost 81-74.
On February 9, 2006, Wallace was selected to play in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas as a reserve forward for the Eastern Conference.
In the 2005-06 season, he continued to show his ability as a versatile player with the Pistons.
He helped lead them to a 64-18 record, and the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs.
He then helped lead the Pistons to a first round series victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, 4-1, and in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it began to look as if the series could go like the first round.
After blowing out the Cavs in the first two games, Detroit lost the third 86-77. After that, Wallace guaranteed a win as he had in previous seasons.
However, Cleveland, with the leadership of LeBron James, went on to win the next two games and lead the series 3-2. Detroit then "rebounded" (literally) back into the series, grabbing four offensive rebounds in the last two minutes of Game 6 and thus preventing Cleveland from scoring, allowing a 84-82 for the Pistons.
They then went on to rout the Cavs in Game 7, 79-61, although the Cavs were within one possession at halftime.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played the Heat in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. Pistons lost in six games to the Miami Heat, who went on to capture their first NBA title.
On March 26, 2007, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Rasheed Wallace threw up a 60-foot shot off a stolen inbound pass with 1.5 seconds, shouted "GLASS!", banked it in from just beyond halfcourt and forced overtime letting out a huge roar from what was left of the diminishing Palace crowd, who had assumed the game to be a loss.
The Pistons went on to win the game, 113-109.
On June 2, 2007, Rasheed fouled out of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after committing a foul on LeBron James and then received two technical fouls, resulting in an automatic ejection, for arguing with a referee.
In a postgame interview, Wallace stated that he was upset at the officiating and did not feel his emotional breakdown cost his team a chance to win.
Prior to the 2007-08 NBA season, the Pistons would not re-sign Chris Webber, and putting Antonio McDyess as a starting power forward, put Wallace at center.
At his new position, Wallace would score 36 points in a game against the Chicago Bulls. He would be a pivotal part in the Pistons success in the early season, dominating the post position.
On February 10, 2008, it was announced that Wallace would be replacing Boston Celtics' injured forward Kevin Garnett in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
The decision was made by NBA commissioner David Stern. This was Wallace's fourth All-Star appearance.
Player Profile
As of 2007, Wallace is one of the most versatile power forwards in today's game.
He is a legitimate two-way threat,
and always known for being tough on defense and potent on offense.
Charles Barkley has been quoted as saying that Wallace has the ability to be the "best player in the NBA."
On defense, Wallace has established himself as a smothering post presence,
playing with great intensity and previously forming one of the great defensive frontcourts with Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. Because of his height,
athleticism and long arms, he is considered notoriously hard to post up against.
He has established himself as a perennial NBA All-Defensive Team candidate.
On offense,
he is capable of making almost any play,
from a slam dunk to a long 3-point jump shot.
Earlier in his career, he had mostly been a low post weapon,
with an arsenal of moves reminiscent of another low post artist,
Hakeem Olajuwon, but later added a solid midrange shot and even extended his range beyond the arc.
Rasheed Wallace has credited his years at North Carolina in becoming a technically and fundamentally sound player.
He is criticized for playing too much on the perimeter as opposed to down low, where he is arguably more efficient.
Earlier in his career, he was widely considered a volatile player, and regularly led the NBA in technical fouls,
setting a still-standing league record with 41 in 2000-2001. This problem has continued into his Piston days; Wallace again led the league five seasons later with 16 technicals.
He used to be dubbed by NBA announcers as a "Walking Technical Foul".
However, he did not get involved in the Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers brawl of November 19, 2004 in any way other than as peacemaker, being commented on by the ESPN announcers for "doing an excellent job" at keeping the two teams separate.
Later, he entered the crowd area to try and calm down Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest.
Rasheed received no penalties (due to avoiding any acts of violence or rulebreaking/lawbreaking)..
Wallace participates in various community activities.
The Rasheed A. Wallace Foundation was established in 1997 to assist in the recreational and educational development of youth in Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, Durham, North Carolina, and other areas.
His foundation was renamed Stand Tall With Sheed.
He also adopted the 9th grade class at Kettering High School, which he promotes good attendance, citizenship, and improving academics.
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great accomplishments.
at least we have 2 mvps to our ballclub. sheed and chauncey.
rip is the next one.
SHEED Stay with us. If you want to retire. you can retire to detroit. like abdul jabbar does.
