"He busted my lip. I busted his nose" - Ben Wallace shares story of playing one-on-one vs. Charles Oakley at 17 years old
A teenage "Big Ben" was not scared of firing back at Oakley.
FEB 1, 2025 7:44 PM EST
When talking about some of the most prominent enforcers and tough guys in NBA history, Charles Oakley has to be one of the first names to come up. Oak was far from the most talented player, but his strength and intimidating presence proved valuable for many winning teams and helped him carve out a solid career.
One guy that resembled Oakley and his playing style was definitely Ben Wallace, as the two interestingly had a pretty intense run-in. Attending a basketball camp in which Charles was appearing, a high-school "Big Ben" decided to get some knowledge from the one-time All-Star.
In his manner, Oak first called out all of the youngsters verbally before challenging them to a one-on-one game. No one dared to speak except Wallace, of course. What happened next was a hard-nosed battle that resulted in a couple of injuries.
"Oakley sat us all down and told us that we were soft and weren't working hard enough. Then he asked if anyone wanted to play one-on-one, and I volunteered. He hit me in the chest with the ball and said, 'Let's go.' We played in front of the whole camp. He busted my lip. I busted his nose," Wallace told the story.
Who won?
The two managed to get each other pretty well, but ultimately, you would have expected the NBA veteran to get the best of a 17-year-old high school kid. However, according to "Big Ben," who was asked who won, that wasn't really the case.
"I did. And he wasn't shooting no jumpers over me - especially when I was 17. I got his shot," Ben answered.
If it were anyone else, you could assume Wallace was lying, but "Big Ben" doesn't seem like the type to brag about fake achievements. Knowing how determined and strong the Alabama native was at that age, it wouldn't come as a surprise that he managed to get the best of Oakley, all while breaking his nose.
That moment propelled Wallace's career
Despite serving each other up with some pretty serious hits, it seems like that didn't create any bad blood between the two. On the contrary, Ben impressed Charles, as Oak gained respect and helped the unknown prospect reach the college level.
"He asked me where I was going to school, and I told him I didn't really have any options, and he said he had a friend in Cleveland, who he called down to the camp to see me play. That was the ticket," "Big Ben" added.
Wallace would go to Cleveland and play for Cuyahoga Community College for two years, transfer to Virginia Tech, go undrafted, leave overseas, and finally get his NBA shot in 1996. From there on, it was a slow grind to prove he belonged, but Ben's work ethic would help him carve out a great career.
Despite playing for several teams, "Big Ben" left the biggest mark on the Detroit Pistons, playing a key role in winning the 2004 championship. Wallace also played in four All-Star games, won four DPOY awards, earned five All-NBA selections, and notched six All-Defensive honors to go down in history as one of the best defensive centers the league has ever seen.
For an undrafted 6'8'' center with no high-school or college traction, that's more than Ben himself or Oakley probably could have expected once they "beat" each other up.
An amateur basketball player, Matthew finished his major in Managment. He has been a part of Basketball Network since 2018, working as an editor and writer. He also spent years covering the Milwaukee Bucks, despite being a big Oklahoma City Thunder fan.
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