Rasheed Wallace
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Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, Wallace played
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at the
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...
before declaring for the draft in 1995, where he'd play 16 seasons in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, 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 i ...
(NBA). Originally selected by the
Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
(now known as the Washington Wizards) as the fourth pick in the 1995 NBA draft, Wallace was named to the All-Rookie second team following his first season. He was then traded to the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
after the season. With Portland he was a key member of the Trail Blazers team that made it to the Western Conference Finals in
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,
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and was an
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
in 2000 & 2001. Wallace averaged a career best 19.4 points per game in 2002 for the Trail Blazers. During the 2003–04 season Portland traded him to the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
where he played one game before he was traded to the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
. With the Pistons, Wallace won the NBA championship in 2004 and reached the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
in the following season before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. Individually, Wallace was an
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
in 2006 and 2008. After the 2008–09 season, Wallace left the Pistons as a free agent and signed with 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 ...
, where he played until retiring in 2010. He returned to sign a one-year deal to play for the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
in 2012. On April 17, 2013, Wallace announced his second retirement. Wallace holds the single-season record for
technical foul In basketball, a technical foul (colloquially known as a "T" or a "tech") is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a ...
s. In the 2000–01 season, Wallace received 41 technical fouls over a span of 80 games, about one technical foul for every two games.


Early life and education

Wallace was born and raised as the youngest of three sons of a single-mother household in the neighborhood of
Germantown, Philadelphia Germantown ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscheschteddel'') is an area in Northwest Philadelphia. Founded by German, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, which is a ...
. His mother worked in the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare to raise him and his brothers Malcolm and Muhammed.https://vault.si.com/vault/2000/05/01/rash-behavior-even-in-portlands-postseason-opener-forward-rasheed-wallace-whos-as-tempestuous-as-he-is-talented-couldnt-stop-himself-from-drawing-yet-another-technical-foul Rash Behavior Even in Portland's postseason opener, forward Rasheed Wallace, who's as tempestuous as he is talented, couldn't stop himself from drawing yet another technical foul Wallace began his basketball career while attending
Simon Gratz High School Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter, formerly Simon Gratz High School is a secondary school in Philadelphia, named after Simon Gratz (1840-1925), a member of the Philadelphia Board of Education. Originally a public high school operated by th ...
.https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wallara01.html Rasheed Wallace NBA & ABA Statistics, Basketball-Reference.com He was named
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's High School Player of the Year after his senior season and was selected first-team All America by Basketball Times. Wallace was also a two-time Parade All-American first teamer. Despite playing just 19 minutes per game, Wallace averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks his senior year. In addition to basketball, Wallace played baseball, ran track and
high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
ed as a teenager. He played in the Roundball Classic, scoring 30 points in a losing effort. Wallace, along with
Randy Livingston Randy Livingston (born April 2, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player and current coach. He played parts of eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for nine different teams. The national high school player ...
and
Jerry Stackhouse Jerry Darnell Stackhouse (born November 5, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's team. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and ...
, were considered the top three players in the 1993 class.


College career

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...
coach
Dean Smith Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel H ...
recruited Wallace to
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ...
for his college years. Smith was a revered mentor both to Wallace and Wallace's eventual Detroit coach Larry Brown. Wallace has indicated that this North Carolina bond with Brown helped him adjust quickly to the Pistons system. During his two years at North Carolina, Wallace had success in the national spotlight. He was named a second-team All-American by the AP his second year at UNC. Wallace and fellow future NBA player
Jerry Stackhouse Jerry Darnell Stackhouse (born November 5, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's team. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and ...
helped lead the
Tar Heels Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans. The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina's promi ...
to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. He left North Carolina to enter the 1995 NBA draft after his sophomore season, being selected with the fourth pick overall by the
Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
.


Professional career


Washington Bullets (1995–1996)

As a rookie with the Bullets, Wallace played in 65 games, of which he started 51 for the injured
Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento Ki ...
. Wallace was selected to the rookie team for the All-Star Weekend. Late that year, he fractured his left thumb during a game against Orlando and did not return until the following season. En route to being named to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...
, Wallace averaged 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. In total, Wallace scored 655 points and played 1,788 minutes during his rookie season in Washington.


Portland Trail Blazers (1996–2004)

After the season, Wallace was traded to the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
, along with
Mitchell Butler Mitchell Leon Butler (born December 15, 1970) is an American sports agent and former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2004. The 6' 5" (1.96 m) shooting guard signed undrafted wi ...
in exchange for Rod Strickland and
Harvey Grant Harvey Grant (born July 4, 1965) is an American former professional National Basketball Association basketball player. He is the identical twin brother of Horace Grant, also a former NBA player. College Grant transferred to Oklahoma after a year ...
. This move proved beneficial for both sides: Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg after the trade, helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in eight seasons, and upped those stats to 17.8 ppg and a league-leading 10.5 apg the following year. Meanwhile, Wallace ranked third in the league in field goal percentage. However, just as his season was gaining momentum, Wallace again broke his left thumb 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 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 ...
, which the Trail Blazers lost. Next season, Wallace signed a long-term contract to stay with the Trail Blazers. He began extending himself into the community more than ever, most notably with his Rasheed Wallace Foundation, but his career suffered from numerous missteps on and off the court. He set an NBA record with 38
technical foul In basketball, a technical foul (colloquially known as a "T" or a "tech") is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a ...
s for the season. However, he would be fifth in the league in
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
percentage. The following year, he broke his own record with 40 technicals. Wallace was also suspended by the NBA for seven games for threatening then-referee Tim Donaghy on an arena loading dock after a home game in 2003. That was the league's longest suspension for an offense that did not involve violence or substance abuse. Wallace was far from the only perceived trouble maker on Portland at the time, his teammates, Bonzi Wells, Damon Stoudamire, and Zach Randolph for instance, were also frequently criticized by media and fans for off-court outbursts and legal incidents, leading to the team often being referred to as ''The Jail Blazers''. Wallace was named an
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
in 2000 and 2001. On February 20, 2001, he scored a career best 42 points in a 104-94 victory over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. In the postseason, Wallace led the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals back to back in 1999 and 2000, losing to the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
and the
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 ...
, respectively. Both teams would go on to win the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
. The 2000 series against the Lakers was alleged by some to have one-sided officiating in favor of the Lakers, with the Trail Blazers squandering a 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter of Game 7. Two years later, during the 2002 NBA Playoffs, despite Wallace posting career high postseason averages of 25.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, Portland was again eliminated by the eventual champion Lakers.


Atlanta Hawks (2004)

On February 9, 2004, Wallace was traded to the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
along with
Wesley Person Wesley Lavon Person (born March 28, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing career, Person became a women's basketball assistant coach and then the he ...
for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and
Dan Dickau Daniel David Dickau (born September 16, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as an on-air broadcaster for ESPN, the Pac-12 Network, CBS Sports Network and Westwood One. He is also a co-host of the ''Dicka ...
. Wallace played only one game for the Hawks, scoring 20 points through three quarters. He also had six rebounds, five blocks, two assists and a steal in a close loss on the road against the New Jersey Nets, though he did not score in the fourth quarter.


Detroit Pistons (2004–2009)


Championship and consecutive Finals appearances (2004–2005)

Wallace was again traded, in a deal that saw him go from the Hawks along with guard Mike James from the Celtics to the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
. In turn, Detroit sent guards Chucky Atkins,
Lindsey Hunter Lindsey Benson Hunter Jr. (born December 3, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2010, spending most of his career with the Detroit Pistons. He ...
and a first-round draft pick to Boston and guard Bob Sura, center
Željko Rebrača Željko Rebrača ( sr-cyr, Жељко Ребрача; born April 9, 1972) is a Serbian retired professional basketball player. After playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he finished his career with the Spanish ACB League team Pam ...
and a first-round draft pick to Atlanta. Boston also sent forward Chris Mills to Atlanta to complete the deal. On February 23, 2004, in his first road game with the Pistons, Wallace recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 76–66 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. After falling behind 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 estab ...
in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, he stated boldly in an interview that "We will win Game 2," a promise he helped fulfill. In Game 4 of the
2004 NBA Finals The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. This season's NBA Finals was contested between the Western Conference playoff champion ...
, Wallace recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists in an 88–80 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Detroit Pistons were up 3–1 in that occasion. Wallace helped the Pistons win an unexpected NBA title, beating the heavily favored Lakers four games to one. After the championship season, he paid for replica WWE World Heavyweight Championship belts to be made for each of his teammates and presented them as gifts when the 2004–05 regular season started. In the off-season following the Pistons' championship win, Wallace signed a five-year, $57 million contract to remain with Detroit. He also changed the number of his jersey from #30 to #36. Throughout the 2004–05 season, Wallace often carried the belt into his locker before games to inspire the Pistons' title defense. However, early in the season, the Pistons had a
fight Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
with 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 estab ...
, which resulted into a one-game suspension for Wallace. Several months later, had several notable moments in the playoffs. After the second-round elimination of the Pacers, Wallace played his best series of the postseason in the Eastern Conference finals against the top-seeded
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
. After falling behind again, he again "guaranteed success". He shot a 50% field goal percentage and averaged 14.5 points per game in the series' seven games, and saved his hottest-shooting night to help the Pistons beat the Heat 88–82 in Game 7 on the road in Miami. Against the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
in the NBA Finals, Wallace was criticized for leaving
Robert Horry Robert Keith Horry (; born August 25, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning seven championships, the most of any pla ...
open for the game-winning three-pointer in Game 5. Wallace's defense and clutch shooting helped the Pistons to split the series 3–3, but in the final game, the Pistons lost 81–74.


All-Star appearances and final years in Detroit (2005–2009)

In the 2005–06 season, he helped lead them to a 64–18 record, and the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. The Pistons beat the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...
, 4–1 in the first round and then beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–3 in the second round of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played the Heat in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. The Pistons lost in six games to the Miami Heat, who went on to capture their first NBA title. On March 26, 2007, in a game against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, Wallace threw up a 60-foot shot off a stolen inbound pass with 1.5 seconds remaining and banked it in from just behind halfcourt to force overtime letting out a huge roar from what was left of the Palace crowd. The Pistons went on to win the game, 113–109. On June 2, 2007, Wallace fouled out of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after committing a foul on
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...
and then received two technical fouls, resulting in an automatic ejection, for arguing with a referee. Prior to the 2007–08 NBA season, the Pistons would not re-sign
Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento Ki ...
, and putting
Antonio McDyess Antonio Keithflen McDyess (born September 7, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. Listed at 6'9" (2.06 m) and 245 lb (111 kg), McDyess played as a power forward. Early life McDyess was born in Quitman, Missis ...
as a starting power forward, put Wallace at center. On February 10, 2008, it was announced that Wallace would be replacing Boston Celtics' injured forward Kevin Garnett in the
2008 NBA All-Star Game The 2008 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 17, 2008, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season. It was the 57th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at New Orlea ...
in New Orleans. The decision was made by NBA commissioner David Stern. This was Wallace's fourth All-Star appearance. In the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played Garnett and the Celtics. This marked the sixth consecutive time that the Pistons had made it to this point, and five times they had gotten there with Wallace in the lineup. Still, Detroit lost a third consecutive year in the Conference Finals, losing to Boston 4–2 as Wallace contributing his poor game play along with Tayshaun Prince lead the team into demise. After the game, Wallace reportedly told reporters, without taking any questions, "It's over, man", perhaps indicating that Pistons' General Manager
Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the executive vice president and head of basketball operations of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He could play either shoo ...
would break up the core of the team following the defeat. He changed his number from 36 back to his original 30, perhaps to change his and the team's fortunes, but sure enough, Dumars did indeed break up the core: at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Dumars traded longtime starting point guard and 2004 Finals MVP
Chauncey Billups Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
to Denver. It was to be Wallace's last year with the team; after the season came to a close, Wallace and the Pistons decided to part ways.


Boston Celtics (2009–2010)

Wallace signed a three-year contract with 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 8, 2009. During the regular season, Wallace struggled, averaging career lows in points per game and rebounds per game. Also, he shot 28% on three-pointers and 40% from the field. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals in 2010 but lost the series to the
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 ...
four games to three. In Game 6 of the Finals, the Celtics' starting center Kendrick Perkins injured his right knee, so Wallace started Game 7. Wallace scored 11 points and was 5 of 11 from the field in the loss. Wallace's agent Bill Strickland announced on June 25, 2010, that Wallace would likely retire from the NBA, which was made official on August 10, following the buyout of his contract by the Celtics.


New York Knicks (2012–2013)

On October 3, 2012, Wallace came out of retirement, and signed with the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. On February 27, 2013, Wallace announced that he had a broken left foot and was expected to miss eight weeks. He was scheduled for surgery. He returned for a final game on April 15, 2013, playing three minutes off the bench. On April 17, 2013, after a short return, Wallace announced his second retirement.


Coaching career


Detroit Pistons

In July 2013, Wallace joined the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
staff as an assistant coach after signing a two-year contract with the team. He worked for the Pistons for the 2013–14 season, but was not rehired to the staff of new coach
Stan Van Gundy Stanley Alan Van Gundy (born August 26, 1959) is an American former basketball coach who is a National Basketball Association (NBA) game analyst for TNT. Prior to TNT, Van Gundy was most recently the head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the ...
following that season.


Jordan High School

On March 8, 2019, Wallace was introduced as the new boys varsity basketball head coach at Charles E. Jordan High School in
Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. With a population of 283,506 in the 2020 Census, Durham is the 4th- ...
.


Memphis Tigers

On August 18, 2021, Wallace agreed to become an assistant coach at Memphis on Penny Hardaway's staff roster. He joined his former head coach in
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown on the Tigers. On January 13, 2022, it was announced that Wallace would not serve an in-person role but would finish the season working remotely.


On-court moments

Wallace was known for his intensity and expressive personality, resulting in frequent confrontations with opponents and officials (often leading to
technical foul In basketball, a technical foul (colloquially known as a "T" or a "tech") is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a ...
s and ejections) but also moments of humor. Wallace holds the league records for most technical fouls in a season, and most ejections in a season. During the 2008 Playoffs, Wallace went on an expletive-laced tirade following Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against 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 ...
in which he lashed out at the officiating. Wallace popularized the phrase "Ball don't lie", used when a player on the opposing team misses a free throw after a disputed call by the referees. One notable incident occurred in a December 2, 2012 game against 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 ...
. After Wallace pushed Luis Scola and received a technical foul, Goran Dragić missed the technical free throw, to which Wallace responded by saying "Ball don't lie." Wallace then received a second technical, leading to his ejection. He played 1:25 before his ejection. During the 2010 NBA Playoffs Wallace, a native of Philadelphia and
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fan, frequently wore hats and other articles of clothing with the Philadelphia Flyers logo during Boston Celtics press conferences and interviews. This caused a stir with fans throughout the Boston area as the Flyers were playing the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...
in the
NHL Playoffs The Stanley Cup playoffs (french: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner ...
at the time. Criticism by Bostonians only grew after the Flyers' comeback from a 0–3 game deficit to win the series 4–3. Wallace nevertheless continued to wear his Flyers gear in public.


Personal life

Wallace has three children with his former wife Fatima Sanders. He is a follower of
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
. His nephew, Quadir Welton, is a professional basketball player. Wallace roots for his hometown
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
( NHL) and Phillies ( MLB), but not the
Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...
of the NFL. Instead, he is a longtime fan of the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...
.


Activism and philanthropy

Wallace has been one of the biggest voices and helping hands in the Flint water crisis. He has personally delivered water door to door in Flint since the summer of 2016, and wrote a letter in the Players Tribune to raise awareness. He also appeared on the television show Area 21 to talk about the Crisis. Wallace's efforts inspired Stephen Jackson, Rachel Nichols, Kyle Kuzma, and other celebrities to help in Flint.


NBA career statistics


Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, 65 , , 51 , , 27.5 , , .487 , , .329 , , .650 , , 4.7 , , 1.3 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 10.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 62 , , 56 , , 30.5 , , .558 , , .273 , , .638 , , 6.8 , , 1.2 , , 0.8 , , 1.0 , , 15.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 77 , , 77 , , 37.6 , , .533 , , .205 , , .662 , , 6.2 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 14.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 49 , , 18 , , 28.9 , , .508 , , .419 , , .732 , , 4.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 12.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 81 , , 77 , , 35.1 , , .519 , , .160 , , .704 , , 7.0 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , 1.3 , , 16.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 77 , , 75 , , 38.2 , , .501 , , .321 , , .766 , , 7.8 , , 2.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.8 , , 19.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 79 , , 79 , , 37.5 , , .469 , , .360 , , .734 , , 8.2 , , 1.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , 19.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 74 , , 74 , , 36.3 , , .471 , , .358 , , .735 , , 7.4 , , 2.1 , , 0.9 , , 1.0 , , 18.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 45 , , 44 , , 37.2 , , .442 , , .341 , , .742 , , 6.6 , , 2.5 , , 0.8 , , 1.6 , , 17.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 1 , , 1 , , 42.0 , , .333 , , .167 , , 1.000 , , 6.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 5.0, , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , † , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 22 , , 21 , , 30.6 , , .431 , , .319 , , .704 , , 7.0 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , 2.0 , , 13.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 79 , , 79 , , 34.0 , , .440 , , .318 , , .697 , , 8.2 , , 1.8 , , 0.8 , , 1.5 , , 14.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 80 , , 80 , , 34.8 , , .430 , , .357 , , .743 , , 6.8 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.6 , , 15.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 75 , , 72 , , 32.3 , , .423 , , .351 , , .788 , , 7.2 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , 1.6 , , 12.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 77 , , 76 , , 30.5 , , .432 , , .356 , , .767 , , 6.6 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.7 , , 12.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 66 , , 63 , , 32.2 , , .419 , , .354 , , .772 , , 7.4 , , 1.4 , , 0.9 , , 1.3 , , 12.0 , - , 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 ...
, 79 , , 13 , , 22.5 , , .409 , , .283 , , .768 , , 4.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.9 , , 9.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, 21 , , 0 , , 14.1 , , .387 , , .319 , , .700 , , 4.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.6 , , 0.7 , , 7.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1109 , , 956 , , 32.7 , , .467 , , .336 , , .721 , , 6.7 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 14.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 4 , , 0 , , 19.3 , , .250 , , .100 , , .750 , , 3.8 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.8 , , 4.0


Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
, align="left" , Portland , 4 , , 4 , , 37.0 , , .589 , , .400 , , .550 , , 6.0 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 19.8 , - , align="left" ,
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
, align="left" , Portland , 4 , , 4 , , 39.3 , , .489 , , .800 , , .500 , , 4.8 , , 2.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 14.5 , - , align="left" ,
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, align="left" , Portland , 13 , , 13 , , 36.0 , , .514 , , .111 , , .724 , , 4.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.8 , , 14.8 , - , align="left" ,
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
, align="left" , Portland , 16 , , 16 , , 37.8 , , .489 , , .615 , , .773 , , 6.4 , , 1.8 , , 0.9 , , 1.3 , , 17.9 , - , align="left" ,
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
, align="left" , Portland , 3 , , 3 , , 42.7 , , .373 , , .364 , , .571 , , 8.0 , , 2.3 , , 0.3 , , 1.0 , , 16.7 , - , 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 ...
, align="left" , Portland , 3 , , 3 , , 41.7 , , .406 , , .412 , , .813 , , 12.3 , , 1.7 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 25.3 , - , 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 ...
, align="left" , Portland , 7 , , 7 , , 37.1 , , .454 , , .400 , , .714 , , 5.1 , , 2.6 , , 0.6 , , 0.7 , , 17.4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" ,
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 ...
† , align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 23 , , 23 , , 34.9 , , .413 , , .243 , , .767 , , 7.8 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , 2.0 , , 13.0 , - , align="left" ,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
, align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 25 , , 25 , , 33.0 , , .439 , , .337 , , .741 , , 6.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.8 , , 13.6 , - , align="left" ,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
, align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 34.9 , , .430 , , .405 , , .527 , , 6.3 , , 1.8 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 14.1 , - , align="left" ,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
, align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 16 , , 16 , , 35.8 , , .437 , , .347 , , .842 , , 7.7 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.8 , , 14.3 , - , align="left" ,
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 17 , , 17 , , 34.4 , , .424 , , .320 , , .744 , , 6.4 , , 1.6 , , 1.1 , , 1.9 , , 13.2 , - , align="left" ,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
, align="left" ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 30.5 , , .367 , , .500 , , .000 , , 6.3 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 6.5 , - , 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" ,
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 ...
, 24 , , 1 , , 17.1 , , .416 , , .345 , , .828 , , 3.0 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 6.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 177 , , 154 , , 33.0 , , .444 , , .352 , , .717 , , 6.2 , , 1.5 , , 0.8 , , 1.3 , , 13.5


See also

* List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders *
List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association players by total career playoff blocked shots recorded. :A progressive list of blocked shots leaders showing how the record increased through the years. Playoff blocked ...
*
List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association players by total career playoff three-point field goals made.The National Basketball Association did not record 3-point field goals until the 1979–80 season :A progres ...


References


External links

*
TheDraftReview.com – Wallace's NBA Draft History PageThe Rasheed Wallace FoundationSI.com – Pro Basketball – Rasheed Wallace Player PageWallace involved in custody suit – Augusta Chronicle51022 Wallace's comment about the NBAWallace and Celtics make a Good Match
by Shira Springer, ''Boston Globe'', July 19, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Rasheed 1974 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players African-American Muslims All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Philadelphia Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) Detroit Pistons assistant coaches Detroit Pistons players McDonald's High School All-Americans National Basketball Association All-Stars New York Knicks players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Washington Bullets draft picks Washington Bullets players 20th-century African-American sportspeople