Ben Wallace (basketball) facts for kids
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Wallace with the Detroit Pistons in 2009
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| Detroit Pistons | |
|---|---|
| Basketball operations and team engagement advisor | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 10, 1974 White Hall, Alabama, U.S. |
| High school | Central (Hayneville, Alabama) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1996 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1996–2012 |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 1996 | Viola Reggio Calabria |
| 1996–1999 | Washington Bullets / Wizards |
| 1999–2000 | Orlando Magic |
| 2000–2006 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2006–2008 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2008–2009 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2009–2012 | Detroit Pistons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,254 (5.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 10,482 (9.6 rpg) |
| Blocks | 2,137 (2.0 bpg) |
Ben Camey Wallace (born September 10, 1974) is a famous American basketball executive and former professional player. He played most of his career with the NBA's Detroit Pistons. People called him "Big Ben". He is known as one of the best undrafted players in NBA history. He was amazing at blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, and playing overall defense. Ben Wallace shares the record for winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times. He went to college at Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University. During his NBA career, he also played for the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wallace won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times. This is a record he shares with other great players. In nine seasons with the Pistons (2000–2006; 2009–2012), Wallace played in two NBA Finals. He won a championship with the team in 2004. The Pistons retired his jersey number 3 in 2016. Wallace was also added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Today, Wallace works for the Pistons as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor.
Contents
- Early Life and Basketball Start
- College Basketball Journey
- Professional Basketball Career
- Player Skills and Style
- Career Achievements and Records
- Personal Life
- Images for kids
Early Life and Basketball Start
Ben Wallace was born in White Hall, Alabama. This is a small town in Lowndes County. He was the tenth of eleven children. He went to Central High School in Hayneville. There, he was honored for his skills in basketball, baseball, and football. He played as a linebacker in football.
A former NBA player named Charles Oakley helped Wallace a lot. Oakley found Wallace at a basketball camp in 1991. He later suggested Wallace go to his old college, Virginia Union.
College Basketball Journey
Wallace first played college basketball at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. He played there for two years. During this time, he showed his amazing defensive skills. He averaged 17.0 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game.
After that, he moved to Virginia Union University. This was an NCAA Division II school. He studied criminal justice there. Wallace averaged 13.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game for the Virginia Union Panthers. He led them to the Division II Final Four. As a senior, he was named to the All-CIAA first team. He was also chosen as a first-team Division II All-American.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting in Italy and Washington
After college, Ben Wallace was not chosen in the NBA draft. This means he was an undrafted player. He went to Italy for a tryout with the team Viola Reggio Calabria. He played one game there in 1996.
Then, he joined the Washington Bullets/Wizards. In his first season (1996–97), he played in only 34 games. The next year, he played in 67 games. He didn't score many points, but he averaged 1.1 blocks. His defensive play became his main strength. His playing time grew a lot in the 1998–99 season. He averaged 6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. However, Washington did not make the playoffs for three years.
Time with the Orlando Magic
On August 11, 1999, Wallace was traded to the Orlando Magic. In the 1999–2000 season, he became a regular starter. He started in all 81 games he played. He averaged 4.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. The Magic won 41 games but missed the playoffs. After this season, the Magic traded Wallace to the Detroit Pistons. This trade was part of a deal for superstar Grant Hill.
Becoming a Pistons Legend (2000–2006)
Rising to Defensive Stardom
Many thought the trade for Grant Hill was unfair to the Pistons. But in the 2000–01 season, Wallace had his best year yet. He averaged 6.4 points, 13.2 rebounds (second in the league), and 2.3 blocks (tenth in the league). Still, the Pistons did not make the playoffs.
The 2001–02 season was even better for Wallace. He averaged 7.6 points, 13 rebounds (leading the league), and 3.5 blocks (leading the league). His amazing defense earned him the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team. The Pistons won 50 games and their division. They beat the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Then they lost to the Boston Celtics. This was Wallace's first time in the playoffs. He had 19 points and 20 rebounds in one game.
In the 2002–03 season, Wallace won another Defensive Player of the Year Award. He also made the All-Defensive team again. He increased his rebounding to 15.4 per game. The Pistons won 50 games and their division once more. They had a tough seven-game series against Orlando. Detroit came back from being down 3–1 to win. They then beat the Philadelphia 76ers. But the Pistons were swept by the New Jersey Nets in the Conference Finals. Wallace averaged 16.3 rebounds in the playoffs.
NBA Champion with Detroit
In the 2003–04 season, Wallace was still a top rebounder (12.4 per game) and shot blocker (3.2 per game). He scored more points, averaging 9.5 per game. He was again named to the All-Defensive First Team. The Pistons got a new coach, Larry Brown. He led them to 54 wins. The team also added star power forward Rasheed Wallace. This made their defense even stronger.
In the playoffs, the Pistons easily beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Then they faced the New Jersey Nets again. The Pistons won the series in seven games. Wallace grabbed 20 rebounds in one key win. Next, they played the Indiana Pacers. The Pistons won the series in six games. Wallace scored 12 points and had 16 rebounds in the final game. This sent them to the Finals.
Detroit had not been to the Finals since 1990. They faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons won Game 1 in Los Angeles. The Lakers won Game 2. But in Detroit, the Pistons played amazing defense. They won Game 3 and Game 4. Los Angeles needed a win to send the series back home. But the Pistons were too strong in Game 5. Detroit won 100–87 to win the NBA championship! Wallace had his best game with 18 points and 22 rebounds. This was the Pistons' third NBA title. Wallace played great defense against stars like Shaquille O'Neal. The Pistons started a tradition of sounding a deep chime at their home court when "Big Ben" scored or blocked a shot.
Returning to the Finals
The Pistons wanted to win another title in the 2004–05 season. But the season had a difficult moment in November. Wallace was involved in an incident with another player during a game against the Indiana Pacers. Wallace was suspended for six games.
Wallace continued to play great defense (2.4 blocks per game) and rebound (12.2 per game). He also scored more points. He won another Defensive Player of the Year Award. In the playoffs, the Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers. Then they defeated the Pacers in six games. The Conference Finals were against the Miami Heat. The Heat had Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. The series went to seven games. The Pistons won a tough Game 7 in Miami to reach their second straight Finals. Wallace again played strong defense against O'Neal.
In the Finals, Detroit played the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan. The Spurs won the first two games. The Pistons won the next two in Detroit. San Antonio won a close Game 5. Detroit won Game 6 on the road. But the Spurs won Game 7 to take the series. Wallace averaged 10 points and 11.3 rebounds in the 2005 playoffs.
Last Season in Detroit
Despite losing the Finals, the Pistons had a great 2005–06 season. Wallace won another Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was also named an All-Star for the fourth year in a row. Detroit won 64 games, the most in the conference. In the playoffs, they easily beat Milwaukee. Then they had a tough seven-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. This led to a rematch with Miami in the Conference Finals. Miami won the series 4–2. Wallace's performance was not as strong in these playoffs. After the season, he decided to join the Chicago Bulls. This ended his time as a key player for the Pistons.
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2006–2008)
Wallace signed a four-year deal with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls coach, Scott Skiles, usually did not allow headbands. But he made an exception for Wallace because his teammates wanted him to keep his famous headband. Wallace continued to be a strong defender and rebounder. He averaged 10.7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. The Bulls won 49 games.
In the playoffs, they faced the defending champion Miami Heat. This was the fourth time Wallace played against Shaquille O'Neal in the playoffs. The Bulls surprised Miami by sweeping them in four games. Wallace had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the final game. The Bulls then faced his old team, the Pistons. The Pistons won the first three games. Chicago won Game 4 and Game 5. But the Pistons were too experienced and won the series in Game 6. Wallace averaged 8.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in the playoffs.
The Bulls hoped to improve in the 2007–08 season. But they had a slow start. After 50 games, Wallace was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his time in Chicago, Wallace had some knee injuries. He averaged 5.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.
Time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2008–2009)
The Cavaliers already had Zydrunas Ilgauskas as their starting center. So, coach Mike Brown moved Wallace to the power forward position. Wallace played in 22 games for Cleveland. He averaged 4.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
In the playoffs, Wallace played in 13 games. He averaged 3.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. He had 12 rebounds in a win against the Washington Wizards. The Cavaliers then played the Boston Celtics. The series went to seven games, and the Celtics won.
Wallace had a big impact on the Cavaliers' defense. After he joined, Cleveland's defense improved a lot. In the 2008 playoffs, the Cavaliers' defense was the best among all teams.
In June 2009, Wallace was traded to the Phoenix Suns. But in July 2009, the Suns bought out his contract. This meant he became a free agent.
Back to Detroit (2009–2012)
On August 7, 2009, Wallace decided to return to the Pistons. He signed a one-year deal. He used to wear jersey number 3, but he changed to number 6. This allowed Rodney Stuckey to keep number 3. On July 11, 2010, Wallace signed a two-year deal with the Pistons.
On November 30, 2010, Wallace reached 10,000 career rebounds. He was the 34th player in NBA history to do this. On December 22, 2010, he played his 1,000th game. He became the 95th player in NBA history to reach this milestone. On February 14, 2012, Wallace played his 1,055th game. This broke the record for most games played by an undrafted player.
On January 16, 2016, the Pistons honored Wallace by retiring his No. 3 jersey.
Player Skills and Style
Wallace was listed at 6 feet 9 inches tall. But he said he was closer to 6 feet 7 inches. Even though he was not the tallest, he mostly played as a center. This was because of his strength and athleticism. He was famous for his amazing rebounding and shot blocking. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times in five years.
However, Wallace was not a big scorer. He averaged only 5.7 points per game in his career. Most of his points came from easy shots close to the basket. Wallace also holds the record for the lowest free-throw shooting percentage in NBA history.
Career Achievements and Records
Awards and Honors
- NBA champion: 2004
- 4× NBA All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- 4× NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
- 6× All-NBA Defensive Team:
- First Team: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Second Team: 2007
- 5× All-NBA Team:
- Second Team: 2003, 2004, 2006
- Third Team: 2002, 2005
- 2× NBA rebounding leader: 2002, 2003
- NBA blocks leader: 2002
- Number 3 jersey retired by the Detroit Pistons
- Michigan Sports Hall of Fame: 2016
NBA Records and Milestones
- Only player in NBA history to get 1,000 rebounds, 100 blocks, and 100 steals in four years in a row (2001–2004).
- One of three players to get 150 blocks and 100 steals in seven years in a row (2001–2007).
- One of five players to lead the NBA in both rebounding and blocking averages in the same season.
- Only undrafted player in NBA history to be voted a starter for the NBA All-Star Game.
- One of three players to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times.
- First undrafted player in modern NBA history to be chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Detroit Pistons Team Records
- Most blocks (all-time): 1,486
- Most blocks in one game: 10 (November 10, 2002)
- Most blocks in one season: 278 (2001–02)
- Highest blocks per game average (all-time): 2.3
- Highest blocks per game average (season): 3.5 (2001–02)
- Most steals in one playoff game: 7 (Game 4, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round)
Personal Life
Wallace is married to Chanda. They have two sons, Ben Jr. and Bryce, and one daughter, Bailey.
Wallace was on the cover of the video game ESPN NBA 2K5. He also had his own sneaker called the Big Ben. It was sold under Stephon Marbury's Starbury brand.
Wallace has shared that he is a fan of professional wrestling. Some of his favorite wrestlers include André the Giant and Hulk Hogan.
Images for kids
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Wallace defending Kevin Love in 2012.
