Former Detroit Pistons star Ben Wallace played 16 seasons in the NBA, during which he won the Defensive Player of the Year award four separate times, and won an NBA championship with Detroit in 2004 in a 4-1 series win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Known as ‘Big Ben,’ the Virginia Union University alumnus became an all-time fan favorite at The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the Pistons had a 259-game sellout streak from 2004-2009.
Wallace became the first undrafted NBA player to make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame when he was enshrined on September 11, 2021.
Doubted from the beginning, Wallace had to carve a path for himself in one of the toughest professional sports leagues in the world the old fashioned way: through hard work, dedication, and perseverance.
From his early days in the NBA, the 6-foot-9 Wallace was forced to learn how to hold his ground against bigger players, ranging from Shaquille O’Neal to Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon to Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Dwight Howard.
Wallace never backed down, and oftentimes found himself on the winning end.
He came out stronger for it, even outdueling the self-proclaimed ‘Most Dominant Ever,’ Shaquille O’Neal, on basketball’s biggest stage.
Wallace finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star, leading the league in total rebounds in 2001 and 2003, in rebounds per game in 2002 and 2003, and blocked shots in 2002.
Ben Wallace: ‘Not Only Would I Exist in Today’s Game, I’d “Average 50 Rebounds Like Wilt Chamberlain”‘
Recently, Wallace sat down for an interview with NBA on TNT crew, led by host Kenny “The Jet” Smith on the subject of how his game would translate to today’s NBA, which is more predicated on the outside shot than previous versions.
Wallace, not known as a jump shooter, said that he would adapt and adjust, as he always has, if he were to play in today’s game.
“I mean, I’ve heard that a lot, that centers like me wouldn’t exist in today’s NBA,” he said.
“I wasn’t a traditional center in yesterday’s game,” Wallace added.
The usually reserved Wallace also went on to make an unexpected statement on how he would fare in today’s game, saying he would average 50 rebounds like former NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.
Video of the conversation can be seen in the player below.
View this post on Instagram
