Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
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United States Ben Wallace built an NBA Hall of Fame career as an undrafted player through defensive dominance, becoming a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and an NBA champion.
Ben Wallace bought a stake in Kalamazoo-based Green Door Distilling Co. in 2022 and has strengthened his business ties to West Michigan through this partnership.
Wallace, known as Big Ben, wore Starbury basketball shoes on-court, and his signature Big BenTM sneaker was designed as part of the brand, selling for $14.98 at Steve & Barry's stores.
Ben Wallace partnered with Michigan-based Rair to launch his branded cannabis product line, 'Undrafted'. The advertising agency Atomic Honey designed the logo and packaging.
AND1, the footwear and apparel brand, debuted 'The Chosen One' mini-documentary about Ben Wallace during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
Ben Camey Wallace was born on September 10, 1974, in White Hall, Alabama. He attended Central High School in Hayneville, Alabama, where he received all-state honors in basketball, baseball, and football. After high school, Wallace played college basketball at Cuyahoga Community College for two years, where he averaged 17.0 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game. He then transferred to Virginia Union University, an NCAA Division II school, leading the Virginia Union Panthers to the Division II Final Four and a 28–3 record. As a senior, Wallace was named to the All-CIAA first team and was selected as a first-team Division II All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He went undrafted in the 1996 NBA draft.
Wallace began his NBA career in 1996, signing with the Washington Bullets, where his minutes saw a gradual increase over three seasons. He was then traded to the Orlando Magic in 1999, solidifying his role as a starter and averaging 4.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in his single season there. His career took a significant turn in 2000 when he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. With the Pistons, Wallace emerged as one of the league’s premier defenders, leading the league in rebounding with 13.0 per game and shot blocking with 3.5 in the 2001–02 season, earning his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He notably anchored the Pistons’ defense that won the NBA championship in 2004.
Wallace continued his defensive excellence with the Pistons, earning three more Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 2003, 2005, and 2006, tying the record for the most all-time with Dikembe Mutombo and Rudy Gobert. He was a four-time NBA All-Star and was selected to the All-NBA Team five times and the All-Defensive Team six times. After six impactful seasons with the Pistons, he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 2006, followed by stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers before returning to Detroit in 2009 for his final three seasons. His jersey No. 3 was retired by the Pistons in 2016, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 as the first undrafted player in modern NBA history.
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