Athletes - Rasheed Wallace

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	Athletes - Rasheed Wallace

Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He currently plays power forward for the Detroit Pistons.

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 and Harvey Grant were traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Rod Strickland and Kevin Duckworth. He had a career high 42 points against the Denver Nuggets in 2001 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, or "ship" as Rasheed would say. 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. At 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) and 104 kg (230 pounds), Wallace plays power forward or center depending on the opposition and is capable of making almost any play offensively, from a slam dunk to a long 3-point jump shot. Earlier in his career, he had mostly been a low post weapon, with an arsenal of moves reminiscent of another low post artist, Hakeem Olajuwon. Later, with the Trail Blazers and more so with the Pistons, he has shown his proficiency in shooting and his range beyond 3 point line. Rasheed Wallace has credited his years at North Carolina in becoming a technically and fundamentally sound player.

Early years

Rasheed was named after Harun al-Rashid, the famous Abbasid caliph during their Golden Age. Rasheed began his basketball career in Philadelphia and attended Simon Gratz High School. Rasheed was named USA Today High School Player of the Year after the 1992-93 season and was selected first team All America by Basketball Times. Despite limited playing time of just 19 minutes per game, Rasheed still managed to average 16 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks during his senior year. In addition to basketball, Rasheed also ran track and high jumped as a teenager.

College

University of North Carolina then-coach Dean Smith lured Rasheed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for his college years. Smith was a revered mentor to Wallace as he was to Wallace's eventual Detroit coach Larry Brown; Rasheed has indicated that this North Carolina bond with Brown helped Wallace adjust quickly to the Piston system. During his time at Carolina, Rasheed had tremendous success in the national spotlight. Named a second-team All-American by the AP his second year, Rasheed ranks as the leading career field goal shooter in Atlantic Coast Conference history with a .635 percentage.

Rasheed helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. Rasheed left North Carolina to enter the 1995 NBA Draft after his sophomore season. Wallace was selected in the 1st round, the 4th pick draft pick overall by the Washington Bullets.

NBA career

Washington

As a rookie in Washington, Rasheed played in 65 games, of which he started 51. While mostly playing power forward, he also gained experience in the center position although being physically overmatched. Wallace was selected to the rookie team for the All-Star Weekend. Later that year, he fractured his left thumb during a game against Orlando and could not return until the following year.

Portland

After the season, Rasheed was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, a move that proved beneficial for both sides. He led the Blazers in scoring 12 times, and also ranked third in the league in field goal percentage. Unfortunately, just as his season was gaining momentum, Rasheed again broke his left thumb--ironically in a game against the Bullets--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. Despite the Blazers losing the series, Wallace's play was a bright spot that gave Blazer fans something to look forward to in 97-98.

Rasheed's next season was one of many highs. The young superstar signed a long term contract to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers. Rasheed was showcased as the team's all-around player on a club with many specialists. Rasheed 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. Wallace was also suspended by the NBA for seven games for threatening an official on an arena loading dock after a home game. That was the league's longest suspension for something that didn't involve physical contact or substance abuse.

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