Rasheed Wallace facts for kids
Wallace with the Pistons in 2008
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1974 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| High school | Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | North Carolina (1993–1995) |
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Washington Bullets | |
| Pro career | 1995–2010, 2012–2013 |
| Coaching career | 2013–2014, 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1995–1996 | Washington Bullets |
| 1996–2004 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2004 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2004–2009 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2009–2010 | Boston Celtics |
| 2012–2013 | New York Knicks |
| As coach: | |
| 2013–2014 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| 2019–2021 | Jordan HS |
| 2021–2022 | Memphis (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 16,006 (14.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 7,404 (6.7 rpg) |
| Blocks | 1,460 (1.3 bpg) |
Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and a former professional player. He played for 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rasheed was known for his strong personality and his exciting plays on the court. He was a four-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.
Wallace was born in Philadelphia and played college basketball at the University of North Carolina. He was picked fourth in the 1995 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets. After his playing career, he became a basketball coach.
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Early Life and High School Basketball
Rasheed Wallace was born and grew up in Philadelphia. He was the youngest of three sons.
He started his basketball journey at Simon Gratz High School. In his senior year, he was named USA Today's High School Player of the Year. He also earned first-team All-America honors from Basketball Times. Rasheed was a two-time Parade All-American. Even though he played limited minutes, he averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks per game. Besides basketball, Wallace also played baseball and ran track.
College Career at North Carolina
Rasheed Wallace went to the University of North Carolina. He played for famous coach Dean Smith. Smith was a very important mentor to Wallace. This connection helped Wallace later in his NBA career.
During his two years at North Carolina, Wallace became a well-known player. In his second year, he was named a second-team All-American. Wallace and future NBA player Jerry Stackhouse led their team, the Tar Heels, to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. After his second year, he decided to enter the 1995 NBA draft. He was chosen as the fourth overall pick by the Washington Bullets.
Professional Basketball Career
Washington Bullets (1995–1996)
As a rookie with the Bullets, Wallace played in 65 games. He started 51 of those games because another player was injured. He was chosen for the All-Rookie team during the All-Star Weekend. Later that season, he broke his left thumb and missed the rest of the year. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in his first season.
Portland Trail Blazers (1996–2004)
After his rookie season, Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. This trade was good for both teams. Wallace quickly became a key player for Portland.
He signed a long-term contract to stay with the Trail Blazers. Wallace was known for his passionate play, which sometimes led to him getting many technical fouls for arguing with referees. He set an NBA record with 38 technical fouls in one season, and then broke his own record with 40 the next year. Despite this, he was a very good player.
Wallace was named an NBA All-Star in 2000 and 2001. He scored a career-high 42 points in a game in 2001. He helped lead the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000. They lost to the teams that went on to win the NBA Finals both times.
Atlanta Hawks (2004)
In February 2004, Wallace was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He played only one game for the Hawks. He scored 20 points in that game before being traded again.
Detroit Pistons (2004–2009)
Soon after joining the Hawks, Wallace was traded to the Detroit Pistons. This trade proved to be very important for the Pistons.
Winning a Championship (2004)
Wallace quickly helped the Pistons. In the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, he famously said, "We will win Game 2," and his team did.
In the 2004 NBA Finals, Wallace helped the Pistons win an unexpected NBA championship. They beat the favored Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. After winning the championship, Wallace bought replica wrestling championship belts for all his teammates as gifts.
In the next season, 2004–05, Wallace continued to be a strong player. The Pistons had an incident with the Indiana Pacers early in the season, which led to a one-game suspension for Wallace. The Pistons made it to the 2005 NBA Finals again, but they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.
All-Star Years and Later Seasons in Detroit
Wallace was an NBA All-Star in 2006 and 2008 while with the Pistons. In the 2005–06 season, he helped the team achieve a great record of 64 wins and 18 losses. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the Miami Heat.
On March 26, 2007, Wallace made an amazing shot from behind half-court at the last second to force overtime against the Denver Nuggets. The Pistons went on to win that game.
The Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for six years in a row. Wallace was part of five of those teams. However, they lost in the Conference Finals for three years in a row from 2007 to 2009. After the 2008–09 season, Wallace left the Pistons.
Boston Celtics (2009–2010)
Wallace signed with the Boston Celtics in 2009. He struggled a bit during the regular season. However, the Celtics reached the 2010 NBA Finals but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Wallace started Game 7 of the Finals due to a teammate's injury. After this season, Wallace decided to retire from the NBA.
New York Knicks (2012–2013)
On October 3, 2012, Wallace came out of retirement and signed with the New York Knicks. He played for a short time before breaking his left foot. He returned for one final game in April 2013, then announced his second retirement.
Coaching Career
Detroit Pistons
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In July 2013, Rasheed Wallace joined the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach. He worked for the team for one season.
Jordan High School
In March 2019, Wallace became the head coach for the boys' varsity basketball team at Charles E. Jordan High School in North Carolina.
Memphis Tigers
In August 2021, Wallace became an assistant coach at Memphis under coach Penny Hardaway. He worked with his former coach Larry Brown there. In January 2022, it was announced that he would finish the season working remotely.
Memorable Moments on the Court
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Rasheed Wallace was known for his passionate and expressive personality on the court. This often led to him arguing with opponents and referees. He holds the record for the most technical fouls in a single NBA season. He also has the record for the most ejections in his career.
Wallace made the phrase "Ball don't lie" famous. He would say this when an opposing player missed a free throw after a referee made a call that Wallace disagreed with. It was his way of saying that the basketball itself showed the call was wrong.
During the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Wallace, who is a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, often wore Flyers hats. This caused a stir in Boston because the Flyers were playing against the Boston Bruins in the NHL Playoffs. Even when the Flyers beat the Bruins, Wallace kept wearing his Flyers gear.
Personal Life
Rasheed Wallace has three children. He follows the religion of Islam. His nephew, Quadir Welton, is also a professional basketball player.
Wallace supports his hometown sports teams, the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Phillies (MLB). However, he is a longtime fan of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, not the Philadelphia Eagles.
Helping Others
Wallace has been a big helper in the Flint water crisis. This was a serious problem where the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, became unsafe. He personally delivered water to homes in Flint. He also wrote an article to help raise awareness about the crisis. Wallace's efforts inspired other famous people to help out in Flint too.
Images for kids
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Wallace with the Pistons in 2008
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Wallace in a game against the Golden State Warriors
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Wallace preparing to take a free-throw
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Wallace as an assistant coach for the Pistons in 2013
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Wallace arguing with a referee, 2008
