Rasheed Wallace is a former NBA Player and coach who played for 16 seasons. He was born in Philadelphia, attended Simon Gratz high school and played college basketball at the University of North Carolina. His positions were Power Forward and Center. He wore the numbers 30 and 36.
He won an NBA Championship in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons. He was known for his aggressive personality and was a tough guy. He was constantly getting technical fouls and famously got a technical for just looking at a referee.
Rasheed was a pioneer for the “Big Man”. Previously, Power Forwards and Centers were big and slow and dominated the low post. Nowadays there are big men that can shoot and dribble. He was the first big man to be able handle the ball and shoot.
He had an excellent mid range game and had a high release shot. He was 6’11” and 230 lbs. He could defend the big post players but could also play on the perimeter.
Rasheed Wallace is remembered for making the phrase “Ball don’t lie” famous. He said it when an opponent misses a free throw after a controversial call. In December 2012, he used this phrase when he was called for a technical foul on Goran Dragic. Dragic missed his technical free throw. Wallace then yelled, “Ball don’t lie!” and was ejected from the game.
Teams
Rasheed played for 6 different basketball teams over the course of his 16 season career he was drafted by the Washington Bullets as the 4th overall pick in 1995 and retired with the New York Knicks
- Washington Bullets
- Portland Trailblazers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Detroit Pistons
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
Coaching Career
His coaching career started as an assistant for the Detroit Pistons. He also coached at Jordan High School. He currently coaches at the University of Memphis.
Activism and Philanthropy
He had one of the biggest voices in the Flint Water Crisis. He personally delivered water to families and inspired many other players to do so.
Personal Life
He is married with three children. One of his wife’s children was adopted by him from her past relationship. His nephew is currently a professional basketball player.
Career Earnings
He earned over $125 million during the course of his NBA career just from his salary.