John Wallace (basketball) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 9, 1974 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| High school | Greece Athena (Rochester, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Syracuse (1992–1996) |
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Pro career | 1996–2005 |
| Career history | |
| 1996–1997 | New York Knicks |
| 1997–1999 | Toronto Raptors |
| 1999–2000 | New York Knicks |
| 2000–2001 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2001–2002 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2002–2003 | Panionios |
| 2003–2004 | Miami Heat |
| 2005 | Snaidero Udine |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,091 (7.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,061 (2.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 281 (0.7 apg) |
John Gilbert Wallace (born February 9, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now a sports broadcaster for MSG Networks. He also hosts a live stream and podcast called "Power Forward w/ John Wallace." Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall, John played as a forward for seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played basketball in Greece and Italy.
John graduated from Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York, in 1992. He led Syracuse University to the NCAA championship game in 1996 during his final year of college. After college, the New York Knicks picked him 18th in the 1996 NBA draft. He played for the Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, and Miami Heat during his NBA career.
John Wallace is also a board member for the Heavenly Productions Foundation. This charity helps children who are in need or facing difficult times.
Contents
John Wallace's College Basketball Journey
John Wallace started playing basketball in 9th grade at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York. By his junior year, college coaches noticed his talent. He was even named to the 1992 McDonald's All-American Team. This team features the best high school players in the country. Other future NBA stars like Jason Kidd were also on that team.
Playing for Syracuse University
John chose to play for Syracuse University. He played in every game during his freshman year (1992–93). He averaged 11.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The team finished with a good record of 20 wins and 9 losses.
In his sophomore year (1993–94), John became a key player for Syracuse. He started every game again, averaging 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. The team made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.
For his junior year (1994–95), Syracuse was ranked 8th in the country. John continued to play well, leading his team in scoring in important games. Even though they lost in overtime in the NCAA Tournament, John scored 29 points in that game.
Leading Syracuse to the NCAA Final
After his junior year, many thought John would join the NBA draft. But he decided to return to Syracuse for his senior year (1995–96). He wanted to lead his team. He averaged 22.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Syracuse finished the regular season ranked 15th.
In the 1996 NCAA Tournament, Syracuse, as a 4th seed, played against the University of Georgia in the Sweet Sixteen. The game went into overtime. With seconds left, John made an amazing 3-point shot over two defenders. This shot gave Syracuse an 83–81 victory and sent them to the Elite Eight.
Syracuse then beat Kansas to reach the Final Four. In the National Semifinal, John scored 21 points to help Syracuse win again. This sent them to the NCAA Championship game against Kentucky. Kentucky had many future NBA players. John scored 29 points in the final game, but Syracuse lost. Even with the loss, John Wallace became a Syracuse legend. He finished his college career as the third-highest scorer in Syracuse history.
On February 29, 2020, Syracuse University honored John by retiring his number 44 jersey. This means no other Syracuse basketball player will wear that number again.
John Wallace's Professional Career Stats
Here are some of John Wallace's statistics from his time in the NBA and college.
NBA Regular Season Stats
| 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | New York | 68 | 6 | 11.6 | .517 | .500 | .718 | 2.3 | .5 | .3 | .4 | 4.8 |
| 1997–98 | Toronto | 82* | 36 | 28.8 | .478 | .500 | .717 | 4.5 | 1.3 | .8 | 1.2 | 14.0 |
| 1998–99 | Toronto | 48 | 3 | 16.9 | .432 | – | .700 | 3.6 | 1.0 | .3 | .9 | 8.6 |
| 1999–00 | New York | 60 | 0 | 13.3 | .467 | .000 | .804 | 2.3 | .4 | .2 | .2 | 6.5 |
| 2000–01 | Detroit | 40 | 0 | 13.2 | .424 | .133 | .778 | 2.1 | .6 | .3 | .4 | 5.9 |
| 2001–02 | Phoenix | 46 | 0 | 10.7 | .435 | .385 | .870 | 1.8 | .6 | .2 | .2 | 5.0 |
| 2003–04 | Miami | 37 | 0 | 9.9 | .421 | .385 | .775 | 1.6 | .4 | .1 | .2 | 4.3 |
| Career | 381 | 45 | 16.1 | .462 | .300 | .740 | 2.8 | .7 | .4 | .6 | 7.6 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | New York | 4 | 1 | 10.0 | .267 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.8 | 1.3 | .3 | .5 | 2.5 |
| 2000 | New York | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | .000 | – | – | 1.0 | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 5 | 1 | 8.8 | .235 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .4 | .4 | 2.0 | |
College Stats
| Season | College | GP | MPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Syracuse | 29 | 29.8 | 7.6 | 1.3 | 11.1 |
| 1993–94 | Syracuse | 30 | 32.6 | 9.0 | 1.7 | 15.0 |
| 1994–95 | Syracuse | 30 | 33.0 | 8.2 | 2.6 | 16.8 |
| 1995–96 | Syracuse | 38 | 36.3 | 8.7 | 2.4 | 22.2 |
| Career | 4 Seasons | 127 | 33.1 | 8.4 | 2.0 | 16.7 |
Life After Basketball
After retiring from playing professional basketball in 2005, John Wallace worked for the New York Knicks. He was a team ambassador in their corporate office. In 2014, he started making guest appearances as a sports analyst on MSG Networks. By 2018, he became a regular on their show "People Talking Sports."
On November 3, 2020, John launched his own live stream and podcast called "Power Forward w/ John Wallace." He talks with former teammates, business leaders, and other interesting guests. The show is broadcast on SportsCastr, a digital media platform.
Besides his broadcasting work, John Wallace is also very involved in helping others. He is an executive board member of the Heavenly Productions Foundation. This charity helps children who are in need or facing difficult times.
Fun Facts About John Wallace
- John Wallace only started playing basketball in 9th grade. Before that, he trained to be a boxer!
- John played a character named Lonnie in the 1998 movie He Got Game, directed by Spike Lee.
Fun Facts About John Wallace
- John Wallace didn't start playing basketball until he was in 9th grade. Before that, he trained to be a boxer!
- He played a character named Lonnie in the 1998 movie He Got Game. The film was directed by Spike Lee.
See also
In Spanish: John Wallace para niños
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds
