Legends are born every single day. That small inkling of passion that you experience as a kid can grow and morph into otherworldly talent if it’s nurtured. Sometimes it’s a balancing act between chasing your passion and providing stability for yourself and your family, but betting on your skills and work ethic can put you in a position to completely change your life. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on Ben Wallace, one of the NBA’S best defensive players, who had to fight through adversity before he got his shine.
Ben was born on September 10, 1974 in White Hall, Alabama, a small town in Lowndes County. He was raised primarily by his mom, Sadie Wallace, and was the tenth of eleven children. He attended Central High School in Hayneville and received all-state honors in basketball, baseball, and football for his athleticism.
Charles Oakley became Ben’s mentor after discovering him at a basketball camp in 1991 and the connection proved pivotal for the trajectory of his career. Choosing to stay relatively close to home after completing high school, he attended a community college in Cleveland, Ohio for two years and averaged 17 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game.
After his sophomore year, Ben transferred to Virginia Union University and averaged 13.4 points and 10 rebounds per game. The team performed so well that it made it to the Division II Final Four with a 28-3 record. The next year, he was named to the All-CIAA first team and was selected as a first-team Division II All-American.
He went undrafted out of college, but he didn’t let it deter him from playing the sport he loved. He tried out and made an Italian team named Viola Reggio Calabria but played only one game. While he was overseas, the general manager of the Washington Bullets invited him to a workout and training camp for a chance to make the final roster. Upon his return to the States, he impressed the staff and earned a spot with Washington as an undrafted free agent.
During the 1996-97 season, Ben appeared in only 34 games for the Washington Bullets and had limited minutes. The next year, he played in 67 games but only averaged 3.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. He continued to improve defensively and started establishing himself as an impressive defender. His minutes increased during the shortened 1998-99 season and he averaged 6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game.
On August 11, 1999, he was traded to the Orlando Magic and stepped into a starting role for the first time in his career. Despite starting all 81 games and averaging 4.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, the Magic failed to reach the playoffs and he was traded to the Detroit Pistons after just one season.
Detroit seemed to be a good fit for him as Ben improved drastically to average 6.4 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game during the 2000-01 season. The very next season, he led the league in rebounding with 13 rebounds per game and in shot-blocking with 3.5 blocks per game. He also averaged 7.6 points per game, the most in his career at the time.
His exemplary defense earned him the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and he was named to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team. The Pistons made it to the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Boston Celtics. He shined by snagging 20 or more rebounds in three games and even had a 19-point game during his very first postseason run. He also played for the US national team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
He continued dominating during the 2002-03 season, winning yet another Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive team, named to the All-NBA Second Team, and improved his rebounding to 15.4 rebounds per game. The team made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but was swept by the New Jersey Nets. He continued improving during the postseason by averaging 16.3 rebounds per game and even had four games of 20 or more rebounds.
The next season, the Pistons were able to put all the pieces together to win an NBA Championship. The team hadn’t reached the Finals since 1990, but it dominated defensively to beat the Lakers in five games. Ben averaged 9.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game during the regular season and dialed it up to average 10.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game during the playoff run. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Second Team after holding his own against other dominant players such as Jermaine O’Neal and Shaq.
Ben’s 2004-05 season was marked by “The Malice at the Palace”, the infamous fight that involved both players and fans during a Pistons home game against the Pacers on November 19, 2004. The incident started when Ben shoved Ron Artest after Ron fouled him during a layup attempt in the final minute of the game. A fight broke out between the players on the court, but they were quickly separated.
Ron was lying on the scorer’s table while the referees discussed the incident, but a Pistons’ fan several rows up threw a drink on him, instantly dumping gasoline on an already volatile situation. He marched up the rows to confront the fan, but it quickly got out of hand when other players and fans got involved in the altercation.
The entire stadium erupted into chaos as people fought in the stands and on the court. The game was never completed and the police were called to restore order and escort the Pacers out of the building. The NBA suspended nine players for a total of 146 games, costing them a collective $11 million in salary. Five players were charged with assault and received probation and community service. Several fans also faced criminal charges and some were banned from attending Pistons’ home games.
Ben was suspended for six games and wasn’t criminally charged for the ordeal. He was able to shake it off to average 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, propelling him to another Defensive Player of the Year Award and another selection to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team. The team made it to the Finals for the second straight season, but lost to the Spurs in a tough seven-game series.
The next season, Ben secured his fourth Defensive Player of the Year Award and was named yet again to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team. He was also named an All-Star for four straight seasons and led the league with 301 offensive rebounds. The team dominated by winning 64 games and securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but ultimately fell to the Heat in the conference finals.
Ben became a free agent at the end of the 2005-06 season and decided to entertain offers from other teams after Detroit management offered him a four-year, $48 million contract. He signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Bulls for a fresh start. He wore a headband as his signature style while in Detroit, but Chicago’s head coach at the time was initially against players wearing them. His teammates voted for him to keep it as his signature style and he was granted an exception.
He spent two years with the Bulls and they made history as the first team ever to sweep the defending champions in a first-round playoff series. Unfortunately, he started suffering from various knee injuries and his averages dropped to 5.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2 blocks per game. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 2008 and he shifted from playing center to power forward. He started in the remaining 22 regular-season games and averaged 4.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
On June 25, 2009, he bounced around again to the Phoenix Suns who bought out his $14 million contract just 18 days later. About a month later, Ben re-signed with the Pistons as a free agent on a one-year deal. He signed one last two-year deal with Detroit before he retired in 2012.
Over his career, he earned the nickname ‘Big Ben’ for his impressive 6-foot-9 stature and dominant play in the post as a center and power forward. During the Pistons’ home games, a deep chime would play every time he scored or blocked a shot to mimic the sound of Big Ben in London.
He ended his 16-season NBA career with 10,482 rebounds, 6,254 points, 2,137 blocks, 1,437 assists, and 1,369 steals. He played in 1,088 regular-season games and set the record for the most games played by an undrafted player. He is one of only five players who had more blocks than personal fouls. He was never known for his scoring and he actually holds the record for the lowest free-throw shooting percentage in NBA history.
The Pistons retired his No. 3 jersey on January 16, 2016 and he joined the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame later that year. Ben was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. He was the very first undrafted NBA player in the modern era to be inducted.
Choosing to stay close to the game he spent the majority of his life playing, he joined the Pistons’ G League affiliate in 2018 as an ownership partner. In 2021, the Pistons named him their basketball operations and team engagement advisor.
Outside of basketball, he’s been married to his wife, Chanda, since 2001 and they have two sons named Ben Jr. and Bryce and one daughter named Bailey. He was featured on the cover of the popular video game ESPN NBA 2K5 and even released his own sneaker called the Big Ben under the Starbury label.
Ben had an amazing career and is considered one of the best defensive players of all time. He prevented opponents from scoring by snagging rebounds, blocking shots, and defending the paint at an elite level. It’s crazy to see just how much of a legend he became after overcoming the initial hurdle of going undrafted.
His work ethic, tenacity, and focus helped him cruise right over that speed bump and make waves in the NBA. He helped change the landscape of NBA defence and stamped his name into the record books as one of the best lockdown defenders the league has ever seen.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
