Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17 1974) is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He currently plays Center for the Detroit Pistons. At 6 ft 11 1/2 in (212 cm) and 230 lb (104 kg), Wallace plays power forward or center depending on the opposition.
Originally selected out of the University of North Carolina by the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) in the 1995 NBA Draft, Wallace was named to the All-Rookie second team following his first season. Following the same season he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant. He had a career high 42 points against the Denver Nuggets in 2000 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 championship 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. He dubbed the duo "Wallace x 2" shortly after he arrived in Detroit in 2004.
On October 27 2007, Wallace stated that the NBA is no longer like a sport, but more like the World Wrestling Entertainment: fake and just for money and entertainment. NBA Commissioner David Stern rebuked him by calling his statement "disrespectful."
