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Ben Wallace
Date of birth:September 10, 1974
Birth Place: White Hall, Alabama
Ben Wallace (born September 10, 1974 in White Hall, Alabama) is a professional basketball player in the NBA who plays center (and sometimes power forward) for the Detroit Pistons. He is listed at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m, although as he himself has stated probably stands closer to 6 ft 7 in, 2.01 m) and 240 lbs (109 kg). As of 2005, he is regarded as the premier defensive player in the league. His nickname is "Big Ben."
Wallace has gained great notoriety in the Detroit area and nationwide, and fans often arrive at his games sporting wigs in honor of his trademark afro hairstyle. However, he now only has this for some home games; for most games, he has his hair styled into cornrows.
Wallace played college basketball at Virginia Union, a Division II school. As an undrafted player, he was signed as a rookie free agent by the Washington Bullets on October 2, 1996.
In 1999, Wallace was traded to the Orlando Magic alongside with Tim Legler, Terry Davis, and Jeff McInnis for Isaac Austin, and on August 3, 2000, was traded again, along with Chucky Atkins, to the Detroit Pistons for Grant Hill. Since then he has been a defensive force, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in the 2001-02, 2002-03, and 2004-05 seasons. In the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, he led the league in both rebounds and blocked shots. In 2003, he was voted by fans to his first NBA All Star Game, as the starting center for the Eastern Conference. Wallace became the first undrafted player to ever start in an All Star game. He, along with Chauncey Billups, captained the Pistons' 2004 NBA championship team.
He finished second in the league in rebounds and blocks per game for the 2003-04 season. His career highs for one game are 28 rebounds and 10 blocks, although he has never scored more than 22 points in a regular-season game (his career playoff high is 29 points). He also was a starter for the 2004 All Star Game.
Wallace again returned to the All Star Game in 2005, his third in succession. This time, he was selected as a reserve, as the popular Shaquille O'Neal, now in the Eastern Conference, finished ahead of Wallace in the fan balloting. During the 2004-05 season, Wallace also became Detroit's franchise leader in blocked shots. He now has recorded 1,116 blocks for the Pistons. Wallace has also become the Pistons' all time blocked shots leader in the playoffs.
Wallace again won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004-05, joining Dikembe Mutombo as the only players to have won the award three times.
As of 2005, Wallace is considered the quintessential defensive specialist. He features an impressive physique - even measured against the standards of his NBA peers - which allows him to out-muscle most of his opposition. Wallace constantly ranks among the best rebounders and shot-blockers. His uncanny defensive timing allows him to defend with great intensity without committing a foul (his career average of 2.1 fouls per game [1] is considered low). In addition, he is seen also as one of the most reliable contributors, rarely failing to deliver in important games. His drawback is his offensive game. Although he averaged almost 10 points per game in 2005, he is not considered an offensive threat. Like other big men in the NBA, namely Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain, Wallace is an atrocious free throw shooter. As of October 2005, his NBA career average is .420.
Three time Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005). Only Dikembe Mutombo has been honored on more occasions.
Named to the All-Defensive First Team four consecutive seasons (2002-05).
Member of the 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons.
Three-time All-Star Selection (2003-05).
Led league in rebounds-per-game two consecutive seasons (2002-03).
Led league in blocks-per-game in 2002.
Only player in NBA history to record 1,000 rebounds, 100 blocks, and 100 steals in 4 consecutive seasons (2001-04).
One of four players in NBA history to lead the league in Blocks-Per-Game and Rebounds-Per-Game in the same season (the others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Wallace is also one of only five players in history (along with Julius Erving, Sam Lacey, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson) to have recorded 100 blocks and 100 steals in five consecutive seasons.
Only undrafted player in NBA history to be voted an All-Star Game Starter.
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