Gerald Jermaine Wallace (born July 23, 1982) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. Nicknamed "Crash", he was named an NBA All-Star and voted to the

NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

while with the

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...

in 2010. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...

High school and college career

Wallace attended Childersburg High School in

Childersburg, Alabama Childersburg is a city in Talladega County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It was incorporated in 1889. At the 2020 census, the population was 4,754. It has a history dating back before 1540, when it was noted as a village of the Coosa Nation vi ...

, where he had a very successful career. For his senior season efforts, he was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, an honor given to the best high school basketball playe

Wallace attended the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

for one season before declaring himself eligible for the

2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizards, ...

. Wallace was drafted in the first round as the 25th overall pick. In 2000–01, he averaged 9.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Professional career

Sacramento Kings (2001–2004)

In three seasons with the Sacramento Kings, Wallace rarely played, but in his brief appearances, he made himself known for his versatility and extraordinary athleticism. In the 2002 Slam Dunk Contest, Wallace finished second to two-time winner

Jason Richardson Jason Anthoney Richardson (born January 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Richardson was taken by the Golden State Warriors as the fifth overall pic ...

. During his tenure with the Kings, Wallace was the odd man out in a deep roster that included All-Stars Chris Webber,

Peja Stojaković Predrag Stojaković ( sr-cyr, Предраг Стојаковић, ; born June 9, 1977), known by his nickname Peja (''Peđa'', Пеђа, ), is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former player who was most recently the assistant gen ...

, and

Vlade Divac Vlade Divac ( sr-Cyrl, Владе Дивац, ; born February 3, 1968) is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former player who was most recently the vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Sacramento Kings ...

Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2011)

Wallace was selected by the

as part of the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft. He would start immediately for the club, and went on to have a season in which he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks a game. He continued to improve in 2005–06, before getting injured in January, averaging 14.5 points and 7 rebounds, and ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in field goal percentage (54.142), blocks (2.19), and steals per game (2.44). Since the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

began counting blocks as a statistic in 1973, only two other players ( David Robinson and

Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...

) in league history have averaged over 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game in a single season. Wallace was known for his somewhat reckless style of play that led to his frequent injuries and earned him the nickname "Crash". He missed a total of 39 games in his first two years with the

Bobcats The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

, but his energetic and sometimes dangerous behavior that may have caused his injuries was also what contributed to his gaudy defensive stats. Coach

Bernie Bickerstaff Bernard Tyrone Bickerstaff (born February 11, 1944) is an American basketball coach and front office executive, currently serving as the Senior Basketball Advisor for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a coach, he previously worked as the head coach for ...

said of Wallace, "Gerald can only play one way and be effective. Energy -- that's his game." In 2006, Wallace attempted to refine his game in order to avoid being injured, and as a result his numbers suffered. The first month of the season, Wallace had only five total blocks (an average of .3 per game) and his averages were down across the stat line from 2005. Wallace improved his play in the second month of the season, but he went down with a

separated shoulder A separated shoulder, also known as acromioclavicular joint injury, is a common injury to the acromioclavicular joint. The AC joint is located at the outer end of the clavicle where it attaches to the acromion of the scapula. Symptoms include non ...

in a December game against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

. When he returned, Wallace continued his fine play finishing the season averaging 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 72 games. Wallace appeared opposite Tim Duncan in the March 2008 "SLAM-UP" centerfold for '' SLAM Magazine''. Wallace suffered a Grade 3

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...

on February 23, 2008 after taking an unintentional elbow to the face from Sacramento's

Mikki Moore Clinton Renard "Mikki" Moore (pronounced "MY-key"; born November 4, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Early life and college Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Moore graduated from Blacksburg High School at Blacksburg, ...

. It was his fourth concussion in as many seasons with the Bobcats. It was not clear when he would return, although Grade 3 concussions are defined by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons as ones that "involve post-traumatic amnesia for more than 24 hours or unconsciousness for more than five minutes. Players who sustain this grade of brain injury should be sidelined for at least one month, after which they can return to play if they are asymptomatic for one week." He returned later on in the season, finishing the year with a new career high in points, assists, and minutes. He suffered a partially

collapsed lung A pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is ...

and a

fractured rib A rib fracture is a break in a rib bone. This typically results in chest pain that is worse with inspiration. Bruising may occur at the site of the break. When several ribs are broken in several places a flail chest results. Potential complicati ...

after being flagrantly fouled while driving for a layup by

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

' Andrew Bynum on January 27, 2009 and was forced to miss seven games. He also was unable to fly and instead crossed the United States en route back to Charlotte by bus. Wallace was selected to play in the

2010 NBA All-Star Game The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was an Exhibition game, exhibition basketball game that was played on February 14, 2010, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2009–10 NBA season, 2009–10 season. It was the 59th edition of the NBA All-S ...

in Dallas, becoming the first and only Charlotte Bobcat to do so (with the Bobcats changing their name back to their original Hornets name after reclaiming the Charlotte NBA history originally owned by the Pelicans franchise in 2014). Wallace was also selected to participate in the 2010

NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime invention ...

. He was also selected to the 2010–2012

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympi ...

Men's National Team to represent the United States in the 2010 FIBA World Championship along with a possible trip with the team to the 2012 Olympics. In the first-ever playoff game for the Bobcats, Wallace led the team with 25 points. This franchise playoff single game scoring record lasted until game 2 of the series, when Stephen Jackson broke the record by scoring 27 points. In 2010, Wallace was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. During the 2010–2011 season as a Bobcat, he averaged 15.6 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game in 39 minutes per game. He played 48 games with the team during the season. Wallace is one of three players in NBA history (the others being David Robinson and

) to average at least two steals and two blocks per game over the course of an entire season.

Portland Trail Blazers (2011–2012)

On February 24, 2011, Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for

Joel Przybilla Joel Przybilla (; born October 10, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player who played the center position for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professiona ...

, Dante Cunningham,

Sean Marks Sean Andrew Marks (born 23 August 1975) is a New Zealand-American basketball executive and former player and coach who is the general manager and alternate owner of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the firs ...

, and two future draft picks. He provided help for the team while

Brandon Roy Brandon Dawayne Roy (born July 23, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the head coach of the boys' basketball team at Garfield High School in Seattle. Roy played six seasons in the National Basketball Associati ...

was injured. The Trail Blazers finished 48-34, good for the playoffs. They lost in the opening round to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. In the next season as a Trail Blazer, Wallace averaged 13.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per game in 35.8 minutes per game. He played 42 games with the team that season.

New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (2012–2013)

On March 15, 2012, Wallace was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for

Shawne Williams Shawne Brian Williams (born February 16, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis before being selected 17th overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. High ...

Mehmet Okur Mehmet Murat Okur (born 26 May 1979) is a Turkish former professional basketball player. Listed at , he played as a power forward and center. Okur is known for his three-point shooting and ability to space the floor. In his seven seasons with ...

and a 2012 top-3 protected 1st round draft pick (which became Damian Lillard). On April 8, 2012, Wallace injured his left leg on a put back dunk. Wallace would only play 2 more games the entire season. Wallace played in 16 total games for the Nets that season and averaged 15.2 points per game. On July 11, 2012, Wallace re-signed with the Nets. The contract is reportedly worth $40 million for four years. In the first game of the season Wallace injured his left ankle. With just 27 seconds left on the game clock, Wallace got hurt trying to block a shot by Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry. After the game the team announced it was a sprained left ankle. Wallace would miss 6 games before making his return. Wallace would get injured again when the Nets played the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

on January 11, 2013. Wallace injured his ribs after the Phoenix Suns player

P. J. Tucker Anthony Leon "P. J." Tucker Jr. (born May 5, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. He was the 2008 Israe ...

fouled him hard while attempting a fast break dunk early in the first quarter. Wallace landed awkwardly on the floor and remained on the court for several moments before being helped to get on his feet and to the locker room. He did not return to the game. Wallace would miss 2 games until he returned to play the Atlanta Hawks.

Boston Celtics (2013–2015)

Wallace was traded to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

on July 12, 2013, in a multi-player deal that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the Nets. On February 28, 2014, Wallace was ruled out for the rest of the season after an MRI revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee. On July 27, 2015, Wallace was traded, along with

Chris Babb Chris Babb (born February 14, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for Pennsylvania State University and Iowa State University. Early life Ba ...

, to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

in exchange for David Lee. Four days later, Wallace was traded to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

, along with cash and draft considerations, in exchange for Jason Thompson. On September 27, 2015, he was waived by the 76ers. Wallace's final NBA game was played in Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference First Round on April 26, 2015 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston would lose the game 93 - 101 (thus completing the sweep for Cleveland) with Wallace recording 1 rebound and no other stats in 3 and half minutes of playing time.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

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, 54 , , 1 , , 8.0 , , .429 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

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, 47 , , 7 , , 12.1 , , .492 , , .250 , , .527 , , 2.7 , , .5 , , .5 , , .3 , , 4.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

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, 37 , , 1 , , 9.1 , , .360 , , .000 , , .458 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .4 , , .4 , , 2.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 70 , , 68 , , 30.7 , , .449 , , .274 , , .661 , , 5.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.7 , , 1.3 , , 11.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 55 , , 52 , , 34.5 , , .538 , , .280 , , .614 , , 7.5 , , 1.6 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 2.5* , , 2.1 , , 15.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 72 , , 71 , , 36.7 , , .502 , , .325 , , .691 , , 7.2 , , 2.6 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 18.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 62 , , 59 , , 38.3 , , .449 , , .321 , , .731 , , 6.0 , , 3.5 , , 2.1 , , .9 , , 19.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 71 , , 71 , , 37.6 , , .480 , , .298 , , .804 , , 7.8 , , 2.7 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , 16.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 76 , , 76 , , 41.0 , , .484 , , .371 , , .776 , , 10.0 , , 2.1 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , 18.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 48 , , 48 , , 39.0 , , .433 , , .330 , , .739 , , 8.2 , , 2.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 15.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 23 , , 15 , , 35.7 , , .498 , , .338 , , .767 , , 7.6 , , 2.5 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , 15.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 42 , , 42 , , 35.8 , , .472 , , .265 , , .776 , , 6.6 , , 2.7 , , 1.5 , , .6 , , 13.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, 16 , , 16 , , 35.8 , , .416 , , .385 , , .859 , , 6.8 , , 3.1 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 15.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 69 , , 69 , , 30.1 , , .397 , , .282 , , .637 , , 4.6 , , 2.6 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 7.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 58 , , 16 , , 24.4 , , .504 , , .297 , , .465 , , 3.7 , , 2.5 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 5.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 32 , , 0 , , 8.9 , , .412 , , .333 , , .400 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 1.1 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 832 , , 611 , , 29.7 , , .469 , , .312 , , .709 , , 5.8 , , 2.1 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 11.9 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 15.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 2.8 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .2 , , .2 , , .0 , , .2 , , .8 , - , align="left" ,

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, align="left" ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 7 , , 0 , , 2.6 , , .400 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .7, , .0 , , .0 , , .1 , , .9 , - , align="left" ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

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Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 6.7 , , .500 , , .000 , , .500 , , .7 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 2.3 , - , align="left" ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, align="left" ,

, 4 , , 4 , , 41.0 , , .477 , , .455 , , .657 , , 9.0 , , 2.3 , , 1.3 , , 1.5 , , 17.5 , - , align="left" ,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, align="left" ,

, 6 , , 6 , , 37.7 , , .448 , , .176 , , .875 , , 9.2 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 15.2 , - , align="left" ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

, align="left" ,

, 7 , , 7 , , 34.7 , , .463 , , .379 , , .550 , , 4.0 , , 2.4 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 12.0 , - , align="left" ,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, align="left" ,

, 1 , , 0 , , 4.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 33 , , 17 , , 20.9 , , .455 , , .333 , , .726 , , 3.9 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .5 , , 7.9

Personal life

Wallace started The Gerald Wallace Foundation to provide opportunities for underserved children and their families in his hometown of Childersburg, Alabama, and his former playing city of Portland, Oregon.

References

External links

ESPN.com Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Gerald 1982 births Living people African-American basketball players Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Alabama Boston Celtics players Brooklyn Nets players Charlotte Bobcats expansion draft picks Charlotte Bobcats players McDonald's High School All-Americans National Basketball Association All-Stars New Jersey Nets players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Childersburg, Alabama People from Sylacauga, Alabama Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Sacramento Kings draft picks Sacramento Kings players Small forwards 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people