Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace (born September 17, 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He currently plays power forward for the Detroit Pistons.
Originally drafted from the University of North Carolina by the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) in 1995, Wallace was named to the All-Rookie second team following his rookie season. Also following his rookie season he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He had a career high 42 points against the Denver Nuggets in 2001 and was a key member of the Blazers team that made it to the Western Conference Finals that same year. Wallace had a career best 19.4 points per game in 2002 for the Blazers.
In 2004 Rasheed Wallace helped power the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title and obtained his first 'Ring'. In Detroit, Wallace has become known for selfless team play and integrated with Ben Wallace to form the core of the Pistons' smothering defensive game. Wallace plays power forward or center, defending on the post and capable of making almost any play offensively, from a slam dunk to a long 3-point jump shot. He is a decent free throw shooter and a good rebounder at both ends of the court.
Wallace is a controversial player. He regularly led the NBA in technical fouls and earned himself a bad reputation among fans by numerous missteps during his Portland period, and even was booed sometimes during home games. He seldom talks to the media, and he became notorious for saying to reporters, "It was a good game. Both teams played hard."
On the other hand, many praise his unselfish play and his obvious talent. In addition, he is a well-known benefactor, often attending charity events. Wallace participates in various community activities. The Rasheed A. Wallace Foundation [1] was established in 1997 to assist in the recreational and educational development of youth in Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Durham, NC, and other selected communities. Each program promotes social, cultural & academic development for youth.
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Background
Early Years
Rasheed began his basketball career in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Simon Gratz High School. Rasheed was named USA Today High School Player of the Year after the 1992–93 season and was selected first team All America by Basketball Times. Despite limited playing time of just 19 minutes per game, Rasheed still managed to average 16 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks during his senior year. In addition to basketball, Rasheed also ran track and high jumped.
College
Former University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith lured Rasheed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for his college years. During his term in Carolina, Rasheed had tremendous success in the national spotlight. Named to the second team All-America by the AP his second year, Rasheed ranks as the leading career field goal shooter in Atlantic Coast Conference history with a .635 percentage.
Rasheed helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. Rasheed left North Carolina to enter the 1995 NBA Draft after his sophomore season. Wallace was selected in the 1st round, 4th pick draft pick overall by the Washington Bullets.
NBA career
As a rookie in Washington, Rasheed played in 65 games, 51 of which he started. While mostly playing power forward, he also gained experience in the center position although being physically overmatched. Wallace was selected to the rookie team for the All Star Weekend. Later that year, he fractured his left thumb during a game against Orlando and could not return until the following year.
After the season, Rasheed was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, a move that proved beneficial for both sides. He led the Blazers in scoring 12 times, and also ranked third in the league in field goal percentage. Unfortunately, just as his season was gaining momentum, Rasheed again broke his left thumb--ironically in a game against the Bullets--and was forced to miss the next month of the season, but he returned in time for a strong performance in the first round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the Blazers losing the series, Wallace's play was a bright spot that gave Blazer fans something to look forward to in 97–98.
Rasheed's next season was one of many highs. The young superstar signed a long term contract to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers. Rasheed was showcased as the team's all-around player on a club with many specialists. Rasheed began extending himself into the community more than ever, most noteably with his Rasheed Wallace Foundation, but his career suffered from numerous missteps on and off the court.
After some mediocre years, Rasheed was traded to the Detroit Pistons, established himself as a regular starter and helped them win an unlikely NBA title, beating the heavily favoured Lakers. He currently sports the #36 (rather than his usual #30) in the memory of his late brother, and is seen as one of the premier players at the Power Forward position.