Alabama Native Ben Wallace to be Inducted to Basketball HOF
Alabama native and former NBA star Ben Wallace has been named as a member of the Class of 2021 for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The announcement comes just a week after Wallace was named to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame along with George Teague, Demarcus Ware, and several others.
Wallace, who is a native of White Hall, Alabama in Lowndes County, will become the first ever player from the common draft era to make the Basketball Hall of Fame after being undrafted.
Wallace was known for his defensive dominance, winning the defensive player of the year award a record four times (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006), tied only with fellow Hall-of-Famer and defensive standout Dikembe Mutombo. In 2004, he was the runner-up for the award behind Ron Artest.
He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team in an absurd five consecutive seasons from 2002-2006. He was named an All Star in four consecutive years during that same period from 2003-2006.
While Wallace earned a ton of individual accolades throughout his illustrious NBA career, without a doubt his crowning achievement was the Pistons NBA title in 2004.
Wallace's defensive prowess helped to lead the Pistons to a 4-1 series domination and a championship over Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers.
After an induction into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame last week, Wallace continues to make his home state proud with an achievement that most players dream of for their entire lives.
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