History of Rasheed Wallace in Timeline

Rasheed Wallace is a retired American professional basketball player and current coach. He played 16 seasons in the NBA after a college career with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Known for his intensity and skill, he was also notorious for his numerous technical fouls. Wallace won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and was a four-time NBA All-Star. After his playing career, he transitioned into coaching.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

September 17, 1974: Rasheed Wallace's Birth

On September 17, 1974, Rasheed Abdul Wallace was born in Philadelphia. He would later become a basketball coach and former professional player.

Others born on this day/year

1993: Considered Top Player in the 1993 Class

In 1993, Rasheed Wallace, along with Randy Livingston and Jerry Stackhouse, were considered the top three players in their class.

1995: Declared for NBA Draft

In 1995, Rasheed Wallace declared for the NBA draft after playing college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

1995: NCAA Final Four and NBA Draft Entry

In 1995, Rasheed Wallace helped lead the North Carolina Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four. Following his sophomore season, he entered the 1995 NBA draft and was selected fourth overall by the Washington Bullets.

1995: Selected by Washington Bullets in NBA draft

In 1995, Rasheed Wallace was selected as the fourth pick in the NBA draft by the Washington Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards, and was named to the All-Rookie second team following his first season.

1997: Traded to the Portland Trail Blazers

After the season, in 1997, Rasheed Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers along with Mitchell Butler in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant.

1999: Western Conference Finals Appearance

In 1999, Rasheed Wallace led the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals, ultimately losing to the San Antonio Spurs.

2000: Western Conference Finals Appearance

In 2000, Rasheed Wallace led the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

2000: NBA All-Star and Western Conference Finals Appearance

In 2000, Rasheed Wallace was named an NBA All-Star and reached the Western Conference Finals with the Trail Blazers.

2000: Single-Season Record for Technical Fouls

In the 2000–01 season, Rasheed Wallace received 41 technical fouls over 80 games, setting a single-season record.

February 20, 2001: Career-Best Scoring Performance

On February 20, 2001, Rasheed Wallace scored a career-best 42 points in a 104–94 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

2001: NBA All-Star Selection

In 2001, Rasheed Wallace was selected as an NBA All-Star.

2002: Playoff Elimination by the Lakers

During the 2002 NBA Playoffs, despite Rasheed Wallace posting career high postseason averages of 25.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, Portland was eliminated by the eventual champion Lakers.

2002: Career Best Scoring Average

In 2002, Rasheed Wallace averaged a career best 19.4 points per game for the Trail Blazers.

2003: Traded to the Atlanta Hawks

During the 2003–04 season, Rasheed Wallace was traded by Portland to the Atlanta Hawks.

2003: Suspension for Threatening a Referee

In 2003, Rasheed Wallace was suspended by the NBA for seven games for threatening referee Tim Donaghy, the league's longest suspension for an offense that did not involve violence or substance abuse.

February 9, 2004: Traded to the Atlanta Hawks

On February 9, 2004, Rasheed Wallace was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Wesley Person for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau.

February 23, 2004: First Game with the Detroit Pistons

On February 23, 2004, in his first road game with the Pistons, Rasheed Wallace recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 76–66 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

2004: Past Finals MVP

In 2004, Chauncey Billups was the Finals MVP.

2004: NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons

In 2004, Rasheed Wallace won the NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons.

2004: Guaranteed Victory Against Indiana Pacers

In 2004, after falling behind against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Rasheed Wallace confidently stated that the Pistons would win Game 2, a promise he helped fulfill.

2004: NBA Finals Game 4 Performance and Championship Win

In Game 4 of the 2004 NBA Finals, Rasheed Wallace recorded 26 points and 13 rebounds to help the Detroit Pistons take a 3–1 lead. The Detroit Pistons won the NBA title in 2004, beating the heavily favored Lakers.

2004: Carrying WWE Belt for Inspiration

Throughout the 2004–05 season, Wallace carried the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt into his locker before games to inspire the Pistons' title defense.

2005: Eastern Conference Finals Loss

In the 2005–06 season, Rasheed Wallace helped lead the Pistons to a 64-18 record. The Pistons lost to the Miami Heat in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005.

2006: NBA All-Star Selection

In 2006, Rasheed Wallace was named an NBA All-Star.

March 26, 2007: Incredible Half-Court Shot to Force Overtime

On March 26, 2007, Rasheed Wallace banked in a 60-foot shot off a stolen inbound pass with 1.5 seconds remaining to force overtime against the Denver Nuggets, which the Pistons ultimately won.

June 2, 2007: Ejection from Game 6 of Eastern Conference Finals

On June 2, 2007, Rasheed Wallace fouled out and was ejected from Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after committing a foul on LeBron James and receiving two technical fouls for arguing with a referee.

2007: Shift to Center Position

Prior to the 2007–08 NBA season, the Pistons decided not to re-sign Chris Webber, leading to Antonio McDyess starting as power forward and Rasheed Wallace playing center.

February 10, 2008: NBA All-Star Replacement

On February 10, 2008, Rasheed Wallace was announced as the replacement for the injured Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans, marking Wallace's fourth All-Star appearance.

2008: NBA All-Star Selection

In 2008, Rasheed Wallace was selected as an NBA All-Star.

2008: Eastern Conference Finals Loss and Team Breakup

In 2008, the Pistons lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, marking their sixth consecutive appearance at that stage. After the game, Wallace hinted at a team breakup. Pistons' General Manager Joe Dumars traded Chauncey Billups at the beginning of the 2008–09 season. It was to be Wallace's last year with the team.

July 8, 2009: Signing with the Boston Celtics

On July 8, 2009, Rasheed Wallace signed a three-year contract with the Boston Celtics.

June 25, 2010: Likely Retirement Announcement

On June 25, 2010, Rasheed Wallace's agent, Bill Strickland, announced that Wallace would likely retire from the NBA.

2010: First Retirement from the NBA

In 2010, Rasheed Wallace retired from the NBA after playing for the Boston Celtics.

October 3, 2012: Comeback and Signing with the New York Knicks

On October 3, 2012, Rasheed Wallace came out of retirement and signed with the New York Knicks.

December 2, 2012: Ejection from Game Against Phoenix Suns

On December 2, 2012, Rasheed Wallace was ejected from a game against the Phoenix Suns after receiving two technical fouls. The first technical foul was for pushing Luis Scola, and after Goran Dragić missed the subsequent free throw, Wallace said "Ball don't lie," resulting in a second technical and his ejection. He played only 1 minute and 25 seconds before being ejected.

2012: Return to the NBA with the New York Knicks

In 2012, Rasheed Wallace returned to the NBA and signed a one-year deal to play for the New York Knicks.

February 27, 2013: Announcement of Broken Foot and Expected Absence

On February 27, 2013, Rasheed Wallace announced that he had a broken left foot and was expected to miss eight weeks, requiring surgery.

April 15, 2013: Final Game Appearance

On April 15, 2013, Rasheed Wallace returned for a final game, playing three minutes off the bench.

April 17, 2013: Second Retirement Announcement

On April 17, 2013, Rasheed Wallace announced his second retirement from the NBA.

July 2013: Joined Detroit Pistons as Assistant Coach

In July 2013, Rasheed Wallace joined the Detroit Pistons staff as an assistant coach after signing a two-year contract with the team.

March 8, 2019: Named Head Coach at Charles E. Jordan High School

On March 8, 2019, Rasheed Wallace was introduced as the new boys varsity basketball head coach at Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina.

August 18, 2021: Agreed to Become Assistant Coach at Memphis

On August 18, 2021, Rasheed Wallace agreed to become an assistant coach at Memphis on Penny Hardaway's staff roster, joining his former head coach in Detroit and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown.