"Ben was fighting so hard that he blew through his shoe"
Chauncey Billups on how Ben Wallace guarded Shaquille O'Neal in '04 Finals
Billups said "Big Ben" gave his all trying to contain O'Neal.LOS ANGELES LAKERS
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As he reflected on the Detroit Pistons' 2004 NBA championship run, Chauncey Billups still found himself in awe of how Ben Wallace faced the challenge of trying to contain prime Shaquille O'Neal. As Shaq dominated the paint with his brute strength and intimidating post moves, Wallace used his defensive prowess in an attempt to slow down the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers big man.
Knowing O'Neal would be the Lakers' go-to guy in the series, the entire Pistons squad played their guts out to at least control the damage "Diesel" inflicted. However, Billups said nobody from Detroit worked harder than "Big Ben," whose insoles of his size 13 AND1 sneakers bursted out from within while performing the most difficult task of his career.
"Ben was fighting so hard that he blew through his shoe, trying to resist -- literally trying to resist Shaq backing down," Billups told ABC7 in 2021. "It was the craziest thing. He actually blew through his shoe."
Ben and the Pistons never managed to stop Shaq
Ahead of the opening game of the '04 Finals, some were convinced that "Big Ben" could make it a tough series for O'Neal given his exceptional defensive resume. However, Shaq immediately let Wallace and the Pistons know that it would never be the case as he dropped 34 points in Game 1.
Despite Wallace's valiant efforts, O'Neal still prevailed in their mano y mano duels inside the paint. As the series unfolded, it became clear to Wallace and the Pistons that stopping "Diesel" required a collective effort from the entire team, but to no avail.
"We did a lot of things; we tried to play behind him, tried to force him off the block," Wallace said after Game 4. "That didn't work. We tried to front him; they threw it over the top. All you can do is just fight."
Hard work eventually paid off
Wallace was right to point out that all he could ever do against the most dominant player in the league was to continue fighting. While it was evident that "Big Ben" did not really stop Shaq, his tenacious defense and mental toughness prompted "Diesel" to work extra hard game after game.
Looking back, Billups couldn't help but admire his teammate's unwavering determination to thwart O'Neal regardless of what it cost him. For "Mr. Big Shot," he won the 2004 NBA Finals MVP award, but that special moment belonged to Wallace.
"He was having to deal with that dude by himself. Two people can't guard Shaq, and we're asking one guy to do it, and a guy that's probably six inches shorter and a hundred pounds lighter," Billups said of Wallace. "There were so many signature moments in that series for him. He was in an unbelievable rhythm. I think that for the world, that was his moment. For us, we already knew."
Billups added that Wallace proved to the world in his arduous battles with Shaq that he never faltered in his commitment to his team and his defensive duties. The way Chauncey sliced it, the Pistons' '04 Finals win was a testament to Ben's underrated yet elite-level skill set.
"He just felt validated. Like we all did. He just felt like, 'What can they say about me now? I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't supposed to be a champion. I wasn't supposed to be an All-Star. I wasn't supposed to be any of these things. Now that we won it, what can they really say about me now?'" Billups stressed.
Ben's toughness made him a legend
Whether or not Wallace's presence and performance altered the course of the '04 NBA Finals will forever be debatable. However, one thing hoops fans can never refute is the fact that his undying mental and physical toughness as a player set him apart from the pack.
Like some of the toughest players in NBA history, "Big Ben" also had a mentor who unleashed the beast in him. According to Wallace, he owed a lot to well-known NBA tough guy Charles Oakley.
"Charles Oakley was the first professional athlete that I met, period. That meant a ton. It proved to me that if I worked hard enough, good things would happen,"Wallace revealed. "He showed me what a real man can do and he was not holding back."
Ben earned the respect and admiration of fans, teammates, and opponents alike with his relentless defense and unbelievable shot-blocking ability. His four Defensive Player of the Year awards solidify his reputation as one of the greatest, if not the greatest defensive players to ever grace NBA hardwood.
However, the Pistons faithful truly remember Wallace for his enduring toughness, a special trait that "Big Ben" constantly displayed against Shaq in the '04 Finals.
John is a storyteller who has a penchant for old-school anecdotes and pretty much every unfathomable story waiting to be told. He has almost a decade of experience working as a sports writer and is focused on keeping the legacies of the old NBA eras alive.
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