Ben Wallace Biography Ben Wallace biography
Named the 2002 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Wallace in 2001-02 scored 7.6 ppg., and averaged 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game, to join Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton and 12-time NBA All-Star Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and blocks in the same season. Wallace is the shortest person to lead the NBA in blocked shots.
In the most convincing Defensive Player of the Year vote ever, Wallace received 96.7 percent of the votes (116 out of a possible 120) from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Wallace, who finished runner-up to O’Neal in the voting for the 2002 NBA Most Improved Player award, helped the Pistons in 2001-02 to their first Central Division title since 1989-90 as Detroit improved from a 32-win season in 2000-01 to a 50-win season, the first 50-plus-win season for Detroit since 1996-97.
In addition ranking first in the NBA in rebounds and blocked shots, Wallace in 2001-02 also ranked second (behind Brand) in offensive rebounds, third in defensive rebounds and was 14th in steals (1.7 spg.). Ranking first in the NBA in steals per turnover (2.0), he was 23rd in the league for double-doubles tallying 25 and was one of 16 players to post a triple-double. he was the only player in the NBA to finish ranked among the top 20 in rebounds, blocks and steals in 2001-02.
Wallace in 2001-02 also recorded an NBA season-high 28 rebounds (versus Boston, 3/24/02) and blocked an NBA season-high 10 shots (versus Milwaukee on 2/24/02).
During the NBA Playoffs which saw Detroit advance to the second round, Wallace averaged 7.2 ppg., 16.1 rpg. (second best in the playoffs) and 2.6 blocked shots (third best in the playoffs).
A six-year NBA veteran who was undrafted out of Virginia Union University, Wallace was signed as a free agent by Washington and played three seasons (1996-97 through 1998-99) in the capital, averaging 3.5 ppg., 5.2 rpg. and 1.2 bpg.
Traded to the Orlando Magic in August 1999, he played in 81 games for the Magic and averaged 4.8 ppg., 8.2 rpg. (20th in the NBA) and 1.6 bpg.
The Magic traded on Aug. 3, 2000, Wallace and Chucky Atkins to the Detroit Pistons for Grant Hill. In his first season as a Piston, he started 80 games and posted averages of 6.4 ppg., a NBA leading 13.2 rpg. and 2.3 bpg. (10th high in the NBA). He became the first Piston player in franchise history to lead the club in rebounds, steals and blocks and placed tied for fifth in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.
As a senior, Wallace earned Division II All-American first team honors after averaging 12.5 ppg., 10.5 rpg. and 3.7 bpg. and leading Virginia Union to the Division II Final Four and a 28-3 record. As a junior he averaged 14.4 ppg. and 9.5 rpg., and was a two-year starter at Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio) where as a sophomore he averaged 24 ppg., 17 rpg. and 7 bpg.
The 10th of 11 children in his family, he married last summer his longtime girlfriend, Chanda.
Wallace was a heralded high school athlete who competed in football, baseball, basketball and track at Central High School (Ala.) and earned Alabama all-state honors in all but track.
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