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Benjamin Camey Wallace (born September 10, 1974) is an Americanbasketball executive and former professional player who played most of his career in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) with theDetroit Pistons. Nicknamed "Big Ben", he is often regarded as the greatestundrafted player in NBA history,[1][2][3] and is known for hisshot-blocking,rebounding, and overalldefensive play.
A native ofAlabama, Wallace attendedCuyahoga Community College andVirginia Union University. In an NBA career that spanned from 1996 to 2012, he played with theWashington Bullets/Wizards,Orlando Magic,Chicago Bulls, andCleveland Cavaliers as well as the Pistons. Wallace won theNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, a record he shares withDikembe Mutombo andRudy Gobert.[4] In nine seasons with the Pistons (2000–2006; 2009–2012), Wallace made twoNBA Finals appearances (2004 and2005) and won a championship in 2004. The Pistonsretired his jersey No. 3 in 2016. Wallace was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.
Wallace has served as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor for the Pistons since 2021.
Ben Camey Wallace was born on September 10, 1974, inWhite Hall, Alabama, a small town inLowndes County. He is the tenth of eleven children. He attendedCentral High School inHayneville where he received all-state honors in basketball,baseball, andfootball (as alinebacker). Former NBA playerCharles Oakley was Wallace's mentor, having discovered Wallace at a 1991 basketball camp, and later recommended Wallace to his previous college,Virginia Union.
Wallace first playedcollege basketball on thejunior college level atCuyahoga Community College inCleveland for two years. There, staples of Wallace's defensive prowess were shown as he averaged 17.0 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game. He then transferred toVirginia Union, anNCAA Division II school, where he studiedcriminal justice. Wallace averaged 13.4 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game as a member of theVirginia Union Panthers, whom he led to the Division II Final Four and a 28–3 record.[5] As a senior, Wallace was named by the head coaches of Virginia Union's conference, theCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association, to the All-CIAA first team, and was also selected as a first-team Division II All-American by theNational Association of Basketball Coaches.
After leaving Virginia Union and goingundrafted, he travelled to Italy for a tryout with the Italian teamViola Reggio Calabria, where he played only one game in the 1996–97Italian Basketball Cup againstFaber Fabriano on August 29, 1996.[6]
Wallace appeared in only 34 games for Washington in the1996–97 season and did not play many minutes. The following year, he appeared in 67 games and started in 16, but did not average many points (3.1) or rebounds (4.8). He did manage to average 1.1 blocks throughout the season, however, and his defensive play solidified his identity and his minutes increased significantly in the lockout-shortened1998–99 season, as he started in 16 of 46 games and averaged 6.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. Washington was unable to make the playoffs for three straight years.
On August 11, 1999, Wallace was traded to theOrlando Magic in a multiplayer deal forIsaac Austin. In the1999–2000 season, he solidified his role as a starter, starting in all 81 games that he appeared in. He averaged 4.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the Magic as they won 41 games. However, the Magic failed to make theplayoffs and following the season, the Magic traded Wallace, along withChucky Atkins, to theDetroit Pistons as compensation in a sign-and-trade deal for superstar forward and free agentGrant Hill.[7]
The trade for Hill was considered one-sided, but in the2000–01 season, Wallace had his most productive season yet, averaging 6.4 points per game while placing second in rebounds with 13.2 per game and tenth in blocks per game with 2.3, but the Pistons could not make theplayoffs. The2001–02 season would be even better for Wallace, as he averaged his most points per game for a season yet at 7.6 points, while leading the league in rebounding with 13.0 per game and shot blocking with 3.5. His strong defensive play earned him theNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, while also being named to the All-Defensive First Team and theAll-NBA Third Team. The Pistons won 50 games and the Central Division, and would defeat theToronto Raptors in the first round of theplayoffs before falling to thePaul Pierce-ledBoston Celtics in the conference semifinals. Wallace opened the playoffs with a 19-point, 20-rebound effort against Toronto, and he managed to grab 20 or more rebounds two more times in 10 total playoff games, his first experience in the playoffs.
The2002–03 season would result in another Defensive Player of the Year Award for Wallace, as well as another selection to the All-Defensive team along with being named to the All-NBA Second Team, as he increased his rebounding to 15.4 per game. The Pistons won 50 games and the Central Division again, and defeated Orlando in a grueling seven-game first-round series that included coming back from a 3–1 deficit. Detroit would go on to defeat thePhiladelphia 76ers in six games, but the Pistons were swept by the defending Eastern Conference championNew Jersey Nets in the Conference Finals. Wallace increased his rebounding to 16.3 per game in theplayoffs, and reached 20 or more rebounds four times.
The2003–04 season saw Wallace continue to rank among the league leaders in rebounding (12.4 per game) and blocks (3.2 per game). Despite losing out on a third straight Defensive Player of the Year Award toRon Artest, Wallace increased his scoring average to 9.5 points per game, and was named again to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Second Team. The season also featured new head coachLarry Brown, and he would lead the Pistons to 54 wins for the season, which included a late season acquisition of starpower forwardRasheed Wallace to further improve the team's defense and scoring. In theplayoffs, the Pistons handily defeated theMilwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round, before facing New Jersey for the second straight year. Despite taking a two-game lead to open the series, the Nets would put up a fight against the Pistons to win three straight games, and the Pistons responded with an 81–75 road win in New Jersey (in which Wallace grabbed 20 rebounds) before wrapping up the series with a 90–69 Game 7 win. The Pistons would then face theJermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest-led, league-leadingIndiana Pacers, and the two teams traded wins in the first four games. The Pistons won the next two games of the series, allowing them to advance to theFinals with Wallace scoring 12 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the closing game of the series.
Detroit had not reached the Finals since1990. The Pistons dominated in Game 1 with an 87–75 win in Los Angeles against theLos Angeles Lakers. The Lakers would respond in Game 2 with late-game heroics by team leadersKobe Bryant andShaquille O'Neal before the series moved to Detroit, but the combined defensive effort and near-perfect offensive execution at home brought the Pistons an 88–68 win in Game 3. The Lakers were unable to respond in Game 4, as the Pistons held their own and continued to dominate on defense and rebounding to beat the Lakers 88–80. Los Angeles needed one win to return the series to their home court, but the Pistons proved to be far too dominating again in Game 5, as Detroit won the game 100–87 to win the NBA championship led by Wallace who posted his best game of the series with 18 points and 22 rebounds. It would be the third NBA title for the franchise and its first since 1990. Wallace held his own against the likes of Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and then Shaquille O'Neal in the Finals, posting averages of 10.3 points per game with 14.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. In the 2003–04 season and 2004 playoffs, Wallace posted individual Defensive Ratings of 87 and 84, respectively. Among players with a comparable number of games and minutes played, both of these marks are the lowest individual defensive ratings posted in a regular season[8] or playoffs.[9] The Pistons also began a tradition of sounding a deep chime whenever "Big Ben" scored or recorded a block on Detroit's home court,The Palace of Auburn Hills—an allusion to the originalBig Ben in London.
The defending champions looked forward to defending their title in the2004–05 season, but the season would take an unexpected turn near the end of a November 19 game against the Indiana Pacers, in which Wallace andRon Artest sparred with each other before the infamous brawl named "The Malice at the Palace" involving both players and spectators took place. Wallace was suspended for six games, and his brother David Wallace received a year of probation and community service for punching Indiana'sFred Jones in the stands.[10] Wallace continued to dominate on defense (2.4 blocks per game) and rebounding (12.2 per game), and increased his scoring production on his way to winning another Defensive Player of the Year Award along with yet another selection to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team. In theplayoffs, the Pistons dominated the Philadelphia 76ers before defeating their rival Pacers in the semifinals in six games. The Conference Finals would feature a matchup with the resurgentMiami Heat, who had acquired Shaquille O'Neal from the Lakers, and were led in scoring byDwyane Wade. The teams traded victories before Miami won game 5 to take a 3–2 series lead, but the Pistons responded and took advantage of an injury to Wade in game 6 before grinding out a difficult 88–82 Game 7 win on the road in Miami to advance to their second straightFinals. Wallace once again held his own against O'Neal throughout the series.
This time in the Finals, Detroit would face theSan Antonio Spurs, led by superstarTim Duncan, and international players such asTony Parker andManu Ginóbili. The Spurs won the first two games at home before the Pistons matched them with two wins in Detroit, setting up a crucial Game 5 in which San Antonio managed a one-point victory. Detroit would respond with a win on the road in Game 6, but had no answer for Duncan and the Spurs' attack and lost the series in Game 7. Wallace averaged 10 points and 11.3 rebounds throughout the 2005 playoffs.
Despite the disappointing Finals' loss, the Pistons returned with a vengeance in the2005–06 season, with Wallace winning another consecutive Defensive Player of the Year Award, a fifth straight selection to the All-Defensive First Team and another selection to the All-NBA Third Team. He was named anAll-Star for the fourth straight season, and led the league in total offensive rebounds with 301. Detroit was dominant throughout the season, winning 64 games and earning the top seed in the conference. Theplayoffs featured a dominating win over Milwaukee in the first round followed by a grueling seven-game series win against the youngCleveland Cavaliers led by All-Star forwardLeBron James. This set up a conference finals rematch with Miami, who had retooled their roster in the off-season. The Pistons struggled throughout the series with the impressive play of Dwyane Wade, who dominated offensively on the way to a 4–2 victory. Miami would go on to win that year's NBA title. Wallace's production fell significantly as compared to previous seasons in the playoffs, as he only averaged 4.7 points per game, 10.5 rebounds and just 1.2 blocks.
In each of the five straight seasons that the Pistons made the playoffs with Wallace, Detroit allowed the fewest points per game out of all 16 playoff teams. Without Wallace, the Pistons fell to third in points per game allowed in the 2007[11] and 2008 playoffs.[12][13] At the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, Wallace became a free agent. He initially stated he was committed to returning to Detroit, but was disappointed with GMJoe Dumars final offer contract of four years, $48 million and decided to test free agency.[14]
In July 2006, Wallace agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with theChicago Bulls.[15] Chicago Bulls coachScott Skiles had a strict "no-headband" policy, but decided to make an exception for Wallace when his teammates voted in favor of allowing him to keep the signature headband.[16] Wallace continued to be relied upon as a defensive stopper and rebounder, as the Bulls already featured scoring fromKirk Hinrich,Ben Gordon, andLuol Deng. While his overall averages decreased from previous years, he still managed to average double figure rebounds (10.7 per game) and posted 2.0 blocks per game for the season. The Bulls won 49 games, and entered theplayoffs with a first round matchup against the defending champion Miami Heat. The series would mark the fourth straight year that Wallace faced off withShaquille O'Neal in the playoffs, and while the Heat were more experienced they also had played an inconsistent regular season withDwyane Wade missing games due to injury. The Bulls on the other hand were ready to take on the older Heat, and shocked Miami with a four-game sweep with an average win margin of 11 points, becoming the first team to sweep the defending champions in a first round series. Wallace posted 13 points with 11 rebounds in the close out game in Miami, and the Bulls advanced to face his former Pistons team. Despite no longer featuring Wallace and being older, the Pistons dominated the first three games to take a 3–0 lead before Chicago responded at home in game 4 with Wallace scoring 11 points with 17 rebounds. Chicago also went on to win Game 5 in Detroit, but could not extend the series to a seventh game as the Pistons proved too experienced for the younger team. Wallace averaged 8.7 points with 9.5 rebounds in 10 playoff games.
The Bulls started the2007–08 season with a 9–16 record before Skiles was removed as head coach. During his nearly two-year run in Chicago, Wallace battled with various knee injuries and averaged 5.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.
In February 2008, Wallace was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team deal involving theSeattle SuperSonics, in which the Cavaliers received Wallace, as well as Bulls teammateJoe Smith and Seattle'sWally Szczerbiak andDelonte West. The Bulls receivedShannon Brown,Larry Hughes,Cedric Simmons, andDrew Gooden from the Cavaliers, and the Sonics received Cleveland'sIra Newble andDonyell Marshall and Chicago'sAdrian Griffin.[17]
The Cavaliers already featuredZydrunas Ilgauskas as the team's starting center, so coachMike Brown moved Wallace to thepower forward position. Wallace played in 22 regular season games (all starts) and averaged 4.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Wallace had a Cavalier regular season high of 12 points on February 24, 2008, against theMemphis Grizzlies, and had regular season Cavaliers' highs of 15 rebounds against theCharlotte Bobcats and four blocks against the Orlando Magic.[18] In theplayoffs, Wallace played in 13 games (all starts) and averaged 3.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.[19]
On June 25, 2009, Wallace was traded to thePhoenix Suns withSasha Pavlović, a second-round draft pick and $500,000 forShaquille O'Neal.[20] On July 13, 2009, the Suns bought out Wallace's $14 million contract, saving $8 million in the process. Wallace actually received $10 million but Phoenix was in luxury tax so the savings were effectively doubled.
On August 7, 2009, Wallace agreed to re-sign with the Pistons as a free agent to a one-year deal. He formerly wore jersey No. 3 with the Pistons, but changed his jersey to No. 6 upon his return, allowingRodney Stuckey to keep that number. On July 11, 2010, Wallace agreed to a two-year deal with the Pistons.[21]
On August 4, 2010, Wallace was re-signed by the Pistons.[22] On November 30, 2010, in a 90–79 road loss to theOrlando Magic, Wallace surpassed the 10,000-rebound mark for his career, becoming the 34th player in NBA history to achieve that mark.
On December 22, 2010, in a 115–93 road win over the Toronto Raptors, Wallace played his 1,000th game and became the 95th player in NBA history to achieve this record. On February 14, 2012, Wallace played his 1,055th game, surpassing the record held byAvery Johnson for most games by an undrafted player.[23]
On January 16, 2016, the Pistons retired Wallace's No. 3 jersey.[24]
Wallace played for theUnited States Men's national basketball team at the2002 FIBA World Championship squads.[25][26]
Wallace was listed at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), though he has stated that he is closer to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).[27] Even though his height was more suited for thepower forward position, he primarily played ascenter due to his strength and athleticism.[27] Wallace became known for his prolificrebounding andshot blocking.[27] He was voted theNBA Defensive Player of the Year four times in five years, finishing as a close runner-up in the other season.[28] He is one of only five players to collect more blocks than personal fouls (minimum 150 games) and the only player among those to also have moresteals thanturnovers.[29][better source needed]
However, Wallace was never a potent scorer, averaging 5.7 points per game in his career. The majority of his points came from offensive put-backs, baskets in transition, or other high-percentage field goals. Wallace also holds the record for worstfree-throw shooting percentage in NBA history, at under 42 percent (minimum 1,000 free-throw attempts).[19]
| 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 |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Washington | 34 | 0 | 5.8 | .348 | — | .300 | 1.7 | .1 | .2 | .3 | 1.1 |
| 1997–98 | Washington | 67 | 16 | 16.8 | .518 | — | .357 | 4.8 | .3 | .9 | 1.1 | 3.1 |
| 1998–99 | Washington | 46 | 16 | 26.8 | .578 | — | .356 | 8.3 | .4 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| 1999–00 | Orlando | 81 | 81 | 24.2 | .503 | — | .474 | 8.2 | .8 | .9 | 1.6 | 4.8 |
| 2000–01 | Detroit | 80 | 79 | 34.5 | .490 | .250 | .336 | 13.2 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 6.4 |
| 2001–02 | Detroit | 80 | 80 | 36.5 | .531 | .000 | .423 | 13.0* | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.5* | 7.6 |
| 2002–03 | Detroit | 73 | 73 | 39.4 | .481 | .167 | .450 | 15.4* | 1.6 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 6.9 |
| 2003–04† | Detroit | 81 | 81 | 37.7 | .421 | .125 | .490 | 12.4 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 9.5 |
| 2004–05 | Detroit | 74 | 74 | 36.1 | .453 | .111 | .428 | 12.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 9.7 |
| 2005–06 | Detroit | 82* | 82* | 35.2 | .510 | .000 | .416 | 11.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 7.3 |
| 2006–07 | Chicago | 77 | 77 | 35.0 | .453 | .200 | .408 | 10.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 6.4 |
| 2007–08 | Chicago | 50 | 50 | 32.5 | .373 | .000 | .424 | 8.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 5.1 |
| 2007–08 | Cleveland | 22 | 22 | 26.3 | .457 | — | .432 | 7.4 | .6 | .9 | 1.7 | 4.2 |
| 2008–09 | Cleveland | 56 | 53 | 23.5 | .445 | — | .422 | 6.5 | .8 | .9 | 1.3 | 2.9 |
| 2009–10 | Detroit | 69 | 67 | 28.6 | .541 | .000 | .406 | 8.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 5.5 |
| 2010–11 | Detroit | 54 | 49 | 22.9 | .450 | .500 | .333 | 6.5 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.9 |
| 2011–12 | Detroit | 62 | 11 | 15.8 | .395 | .250 | .340 | 4.3 | .7 | .8 | .8 | 1.4 |
| Career | 1088 | 912 | 29.5 | .474 | .137 | .414 | 9.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 5.7 | |
| All-Star | 4 | 2 | 21.5 | .400 | .000 | .000 | 7.0 | .5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 3.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Detroit | 10 | 10 | 40.8 | .475 | — | .436 | 16.1 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 7.3 |
| 2003 | Detroit | 17 | 17 | 42.5 | .486 | .000 | .446 | 16.3 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 8.9 |
| 2004† | Detroit | 23 | 23 | 40.2 | .454 | .000 | .427 | 14.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 10.3 |
| 2005 | Detroit | 25 | 25 | 39.2 | .481 | .000 | .461 | 11.3 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 10.0 |
| 2006 | Detroit | 18 | 18 | 35.7 | .465 | .000 | .273 | 10.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 4.7 |
| 2007 | Chicago | 10 | 10 | 36.9 | .566 | .000 | .500 | 9.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 8.7 |
| 2008 | Cleveland | 13 | 13 | 23.4 | .515 | — | .350 | 6.5 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| 2009 | Cleveland | 14 | 0 | 12.6 | .615 | — | .000 | 2.7 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 1.1 |
| Career | 130 | 116 | 34.8 | .482 | .000 | .418 | 11.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 7.2 | |
In 2018, Wallace joined the Pistons'NBA G League affiliate, theGrand Rapids Drive, as an ownership partner,[36][37][38] serving in that role until they became an affiliate of theDenver Nuggets and renamed the Gold.[39] In 2021, he was named the Pistons' basketball operations and team engagement advisor.[39]
Wallace is married to Chanda Wallace and is the father of two sons, Ben Jr. and Bryce, and one daughter, Bailey.[40]
Wallace appeared on the cover ofESPN NBA 2K5. An inflatable basketball training aid of Wallace's likeness, called the Inflatable Defender, was manufactured by PlayAir Systems. His sneaker, theBig Ben, was released on November 5, 2007, underStephon Marbury'sStarbury label and sold for US$14.98 ($22.72 with inflation) atSteve & Barry's stores.[41]
In 2011, Wallace was arrested and charged withDWI and carrying a concealed weapon.[42] He was sentenced to a year of probation.[43]
In March 2014, Wallace was sentenced to a year of jail, with all but two days suspended, after he pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident inRichmond, Virginia, on February 8, 2014.[44]
In 2022, Wallace launched his line ofcannabis products named "Undrafted" developed in partnership with the cannabis company Rair. Wallace stated: "Cannabis has helped me safely relieve the aches and pains and different stressors that have built up from the many years as an athlete. There's no denying that marijuana has a healing upside for athletes or anyone struggling with pain — so alongside launching the Undrafted brand, the Rair team and I will continue to push to end this stigma associated with cannabis use."[45][46] That year, he also purchased a minority stake inGreen Door Distilling.[47]
He won NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times in five years and finished a close second the other year, with Detroit finishing second, third, fourth and fifth in defensive efficiency in those seasons.
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