Rasheed Wallace

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Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace during his tenure with the Pistons.
No. 30 – Boston Celtics
PositionCenter/Power Forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1974-09-17) September 17, 1974 (age 49)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolSimon Gratz
CollegeNorth Carolina
NBA draft1995: 1st Round, 4th Overall
Selected by the Washington Bullets
Playing career1995–present
Career highlights and awards
4x NBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2006, 2008)
1x NBA Champion
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a member of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). At 6 ft 11 in (211 cm) and 230 lb (104 kg), Wallace is a power forward/center. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he played college basketball at the University of North Carolina before joining the NBA.

Originally selected by the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) as the fourth pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Wallace was named to the All-Rookie second team following his first season. He was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after the season. With Portland he was a key member of the Blazers team that made it to the Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000, and was an NBA All-Star in 2000 and 2001. Wallace had a career best 19.4 points per game in 2002 for the Blazers.

During the 2003–04 season Portland traded him to the Atlanta Hawks where he played one game before he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. With the Pistons he won the NBA championship in 2004 and lost the NBA Finals the following season, and individually he was an All-Star in 2006 and 2008. After the 2008–09 season he left Detroit as a free agent and signed with Boston.

Biography

Early years

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. Wallace was also a two-time Parade All-American first teamer. 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.He made both the McDonald and Magic Johnson Roundball Classic.Despite being outplayed by Darnell Robinson in the McDonald's Game, He rebounded with a 30 point performance in the Roundball Classic, and was named MVP for the East Squad.

College career

University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith recruited 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 and fellow future NBAer Jerry Stackhouse 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

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.[citation needed] 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: Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg after the trade, helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in 8 seasons, and upped those stats to 17.8 ppg and a league-leading 10.5 apg the following year.

Meanwhile, Wallace ranked third in the league in field goal percentage.[2] 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,[3] but he returned in time for a strong performance in the first round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, which the Blazers lost.

His next season was filled with many successes. The young superstar signed a long-term contract to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers. 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.[4] However, he would be fifth in the league in field goal percentage.[5] The following year, he would break his own record with 40 technicals.[4] 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.[6]

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

On February 9, 2004 Wallace was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Wesley Person for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, and Dan Dickau.[7] He played only a single game for the Hawks, scoring 20 points. He also had 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists and a steal in a close loss against the New Jersey Nets.[8] He played only one game with the Hawks before being traded again. 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.[9] The shipment of Wallace out of Atlanta was widely rumored.[10]

Detroit Pistons

Wallace in a game against the Golden State Warriors

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",[11] a promise he helped fulfill.[12]

Wallace helped the Pistons win an unexpected NBA title, beating the heavily favored Lakers 4 games to 1.[13] 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.[14]

In the off-season following the Pistons' championship win, Rasheed Wallace signed a 5-year, $57 million contract to remain with Detroit.[15] 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. 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,[16] but in the final game, the Pistons lost 81–74.

In the 2005–06 season, he helped lead them to a 64–18 record, and the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. The Pistons beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 4–1 in the first round and then beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played the Heat in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. The 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, called "GLASS!", and banked it in from just behind halfcourt to force 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.[17]

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.[18]

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. 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.[19] The decision was made by NBA commissioner David Stern. This was Wallace's fourth All-Star appearance.

In the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played Garnett and the Celtics. This marked the sixth consecutive time that the Pistons had made it to this point, and five times they had gotten there with Wallace in the lineup. Still, Detroit lost a third consecutive year in the Conference Finals, losing to Boston 4–2. After the game, Rasheed reportedly told reporters, without taking any questions, "It's over, man," perhaps indicating that Pistons' General Manager Joe Dumars would break up the core of the team in the 2008 offseason. Longtime starting point guard Chauncey Billups was traded during the season's beginning, and Wallace would leave the Pistons after the season's end.

Before the 2008–2009 Season, Wallace changed his number from #36 back to his original #30.

Boston Celtics

Wallace signed a three-year contract with the Boston Celtics on July 8, 2009.[20]

Infamous on-court moments

During the 2008 Playoffs Wallace went on a expletive-laced tirade following Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics[21][22] in which he lashed out at the officiating, stating, "All that bullshit-ass calls they had out there. With Mike [Callahan] and Kenny [Mauer] -- you've all seen that shit, " Wallace said. "You saw them calls. The cats are flopping all over the floor and they're calling that shit. That shit ain't basketball out there. It's all fucking entertainment. You all should know that shit. It's all fucking entertainment."[23] Wallace was fined $25,000 for his profanity and criticism. Wallace's comments were in response to a question about flopping. Earlier that day, the NBA stated that starting with the 2008–09 season, fines would be imposed by the league for obvious flops.[23]

Personal

Wallace is a Muslim.[24] He is married to Fatima with three sons and one daughter.[25] In his rookie season Wallace was involved in a custody dispute with the biological mother of his son. The boy, Ismail, was living with his father and his then fiance, Fatima, before the mother of the child kidnapped him. Wallace went on TV, pleading people to help in the return of his son, and the following winter his pleading worked. A woman saw the boy and his mother, recognized him from Wallace's commercial and called the police. The boy and Wallace were reunited and he has been given custody since then.[26]

Wallace roots for his hometown Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), but not the Philadelphia Eagles of the (NFL), instead, he is a longtime fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.[25]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1995–96 Washington 65 51 27.5 .487 .329 .650 4.7 1.3 .6 .8 10.1
1996–97 Portland 62 56 30.5 .558 .273 .638 6.8 1.2 .8 .9 15.1
1997–98 Portland 77 77 37.6 .533 .205 .662 6.2 2.5 1.0 1.1 14.6
1998–99 Portland 49 18 28.9 .508 .419 .732 4.9 1.2 1.0 1.1 12.8
1999–00 Portland 81 77 35.1 .519 .160 .704 7.0 1.8 1.1 1.3 16.4
2000–01 Portland 77 75 38.2 .501 .321 .766 7.8 2.8 1.2 1.8 19.2
2001–02 Portland 79 79 37.5 .469 .360 .734 8.2 1.9 1.3 1.3 19.3
2002–03 Portland 74 74 36.3 .471 .358 .735 7.4 2.1 .9 1.0 18.1
2003–04 Portland 45 44 37.2 .442 .341 .742 6.6 2.5 .8 1.6 17.0
2003–04 Atlanta 1 1 42.0 .333 .167 1.000 6.0 2.0 1.0 5.0 20.0
2003–04 Detroit 22 21 30.6 .431 .319 .704 7.0 1.8 1.1 2.0 13.7
2004–05 Detroit 79 79 34.0 .440 .318 .697 8.2 1.8 .8 1.5 14.5
2005–06 Detroit 80 80 34.8 .430 .357 .743 6.8 2.3 1.0 1.6 15.1
2006–07 Detroit 75 72 32.3 .423 .351 .788 7.2 1.7 1.0 1.6 12.3
2007–08 Detroit 77 76 30.5 .432 .356 .767 6.6 1.8 1.2 1.7 12.7
2008–09 Detroit 66 63 32.2 .419 .354 .772 7.4 1.4 .9 1.3 12.0
Career 1009 943 33.9 .471 .342 .719 6.9 1.9 1.0 1.3 15.0
All-Star 4 0 19.3 .250 .100 .750 3.8 .5 1.0 .8 4.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1996–97 Portland 4 4 37.0 .589 .400 .550 6.0 1.5 .5 .5 19.8
1997–98 Portland 4 4 39.3 .489 .800 .500 4.8 2.8 .5 .5 14.5
1998–99 Portland 13 13 36.0 .514 .111 .724 4.8 1.5 1.5 .9 14.8
1999–00 Portland 16 16 37.8 .489 .615 .773 6.4 1.8 .9 1.2 17.9
2000–01 Portland 3 3 42.7 .373 .364 .571 8.0 2.3 .3 1.0 16.7
2001–02 Portland 3 3 41.7 .406 .412 .813 12.3 1.7 .7 .7 25.3
2002–03 Portland 7 7 37.1 .454 .400 .714 5.1 2.6 .6 .7 17.4
2003–04 Detroit 23 23 34.9 .413 .243 .767 7.8 1.6 .6 2.0 13.0
2004–05 Detroit 25 25 33.0 .439 .337 .741 6.9 1.3 1.0 1.8 13.6
2005–06 Detroit 18 18 34.9 .430 .405 .527 6.3 1.8 .6 .8 14.1
2006–07 Detroit 16 16 35.8 .437 .347 .842 7.7 1.8 1.2 1.8 14.3
2007–08 Detroit 17 17 34.4 .424 .320 .744 6.4 1.6 1.1 1.9 13.2
2008–09 Detroit 4 4 30.5 .367 .500 .000 6.3 .8 .5 .2 6.5
Career 153 153 35.5 .446 .353 .710 6.7 1.7 .9 1.4 14.6

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Field Goal Percentage - 1996-97". NBA.com. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  3. ^ "Blazers' Wallace Out at Least Four Weeks". New York Times. 1996-12-27. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  4. ^ a b "Pistons fine without 'Sheed, beat Clippers behind Rip's 23 points". CBSSports.com. 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  5. ^ "1999-2000 Regular Season Field Goals Percentage". NBA.com. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  6. ^ Thomsen, Ian (2003-01-29). "Despite his latest screwup, many teams still covet Rasheed Wallace". CNNSI.com. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  7. ^ "Blazers trade Wallace to Hawks". CBC.ca. 2004-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  8. ^ "Atlanta at New Jersey". NBA.com. 2004-02-18. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  9. ^ "Wallace lands in Detroit in three-team deal". ESPN.com. 2004-02-20. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  10. ^ Wallace not surprised by trade talk
  11. ^ "Once again, Rasheed guarantees Game 2 victory". USATODAY.com. 2004-05-23. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  12. ^ "Pistons Swat Pacers, Snag Series Tie". NBA.com. 2004-05-24. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  13. ^ "Pistons Send Lakers Packing, Win Third NBA Title". NBA.com. 2004-06-15. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  14. ^ Enlund, Tom (2004-12-04). "Former Pistons get their hands on title belts". JS Online. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  15. ^ Lage, Larry (2004-07-21). "Rasheed Wallace signs five-year, $57M deal with Pistons". USATODAY.com. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  16. ^ Nance, Roscoe (2005-06-22). "Rasheed Wallace atones for Game 5 miscue". USATODAY.com. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  17. ^ "Wallace Hits Midcourt Shot to Force OT in Pistons Win". NBA.com. 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  18. ^ "Pistons' Wallace ejected from Game 6". USATODAY.com. 2007-06-03. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  19. ^ "Pistons' Wallace replaces gimpy Garnett in All-Star Game". ESPN. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  20. ^ http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/press_release/press070809-rasheed-wallace.html
  21. ^ Pistons' Wallace fined $25K for cursing, criticizing officials
  22. ^ Celtics stifle Pistons' Game 5 push on Allen's jumper, free throws
  23. ^ a b Fines will be imposed for clear cases of flopping
  24. ^ "Malcolm, and other like him" ESPN Sports (Alan Grant). Retrieved on 2009-07-24.
  25. ^ a b "Rasheed Wallace biography". Retrieved 2009-09-28.
  26. ^ "Wallace involved in custody suit". Augusta Georgia. 1997-12-26. Retrieved 2008-02-24.

External links

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