Ben Wallace (basketball): Difference between revisions

He won the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award]] four times, a record he shares with [[Dikembe Mutombo]]. In nine seasons with the Pistons (2000–2006; 2009–2012), Wallace made two NBA Finals appearances ([[2004 NBA Finals|2004]] and [[2005 NBA Finals|2005]]) and won a championship with the Pistons in 2004. The Pistons retired his jersey number 3 in 2016.He is a Hall-Of-Famer.

Wallace first played [[college basketball]] on the [[junior college]] level at [[Cuyahoga Community College]] in [[Cleveland]] 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 to [[Virginia Union University|Virginia Union]], a [[NCAA Division II]] school, where he studied [[criminal justice]]. Wallace averaged 13.4 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game as a member of the Virginia Union Panthers, whom he led to the Division II Final Four and a 28–3 record.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bballone.com/benw/benwallacebio.html |title=Ben Wallace Bio |publisher=Bballone.com |date= |accessdate=February 20, 2012}}</ref> As a senior, Wallace was named to the First-Team All CIAA and was selected as a First Team All-American (Div. II) by the NABC. After leaving Virginia Union and going [[List of National Basketball Association undrafted players|undrafted]], he travelled to Italy for a tryout with the Italian team [[Viola Reggio Calabria]].

Wallace only appeared in 34 games for Washington in the [[1996–97 NBA season|1996–97 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 shortened [[1998–99 NBA season|1998–99 season]], as he started in 16 of 46 games and averaged 6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Washington was unable to make the playoffs for three straight years.

On August 11, 1999, Wallace was traded to the [[1999–2000 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]] in a multiplayer deal for [[Isaac Austin]]. In the [[1999–2000 NBA season|1999–2000 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 the [[2000 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] and following the season, the Magic traded Wallace along with [[Chucky Atkins]] to the [[2000–01 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit Pistons]] as compensation in a sign and trade deal for superstar forward and free agent [[Grant Hill]].

The trade for Hill was considered one-sided, but in the [[2000–01 NBA season|2000–01 season]], Wallace had his most productive season yet, averaging 6.4 points a game while placing second in rebounds with 13.2 a game and tenth in blocks per game with 2.3, but the Pistons could not make the [[2001 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]]. The [[2001–02 NBA season|2001–02 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 a game and shot blocking with 3.5. His strong defensive play earned him the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award]], while also being named to the All-Defensive First Team and the [[All-NBA Third Team]]. The Pistons won 50 games and the Central Division, and would defeat the [[Vince Carter]]-led [[2001–02 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]] in the first round of the [[2002 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] before falling to the [[Paul Pierce]]-led [[2001–02 Boston Celtics season|Boston 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 post season.

The [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04 season]] saw Ben Wallace continue to rank among the league leaders in rebounding (12.4 a game) and blocks (3.2 a game). Despite losing out on a third straight Defensive Player of the Year Award to [[Ron Artest]], Wallace increased his scoring average to 9.5 points a game, and was named again to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Second Team. The season also featured new head coach [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]], and he would lead the Pistons to 54 wins for the season, which included a late season acquisition of star [[power forward (basketball)|power forward]] [[Rasheed Wallace]] to further improve the team's defense and scoring. In the [[2004 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]], the Pistons handily defeated the [[2003–04 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] in five games in the first round, before facing New Jersey for the second straight year. Despite taking a 2-game lead to open the series, the Nets would win 3 straight games, and the Pistons responded with a road win in New Jersey (in which Wallace grabbed 20 rebounds) before wrapping up the series in game 7. The Pistons would then face the Ron Artest and [[Reggie Miller]]-led, league-leading [[2003–04 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]], and the two teams traded wins in the first four games. Detroit's defense and resilience would prove too much for the Pacers, and the Pistons won the series in 6 games to advance to the [[2004 NBA Finals|Finals]] with Wallace scoring 12 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the closing game of the series.

Detroit had not reached the Finals since [[1989–90 Detroit Pistons season|1990]]. The Pistons dominated in game 1 with a 12-point win in Los Angeles against the [[2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers season|Lakers]]. The Lakers would respond in game 2 with late game heroics by team leaders [[Kobe Bryant]] and [[Shaquille O'Neal]] before the series moved to Detroit, but the combined defensive effort and near perfect offensive execution at home brought the Pistons a 20-point 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. 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 by 13 points 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 a game with 14.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.