Sports Poets Society

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/ben-wallace-shares-story-playing-one-on-one-vs-charles-oakley-17-years-old A teenage "Big Ben" was not scared of firing back at Oakley. MATTHEW DUGANDZIC FEB 1, 2025 7:44 PM EST START CONVERSATION 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 Walla...

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/ben-wallace-played-in-his-first-all-star-game-shortly-after-his-mums-funeral VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rArOLoxJg1g Big Ben laid his mother to rest and, just 36 hours later, resiliently participated in his first All-Star Game. JULIAN ESCHENBACH MAY 2, 2024 10:15 PM EDT START CONVERSATION In early February 2003, NBA Hall of Famer Ben Wallace faced a bittersweet moment in his life: just 36 hours after his mother Sadie's funeral , he took to the court for the NBA All-Star game. Despite experiencing immense grief, 'Big Ben' wouldn't miss out on the biggest honor of his athletic career at that time. "I didn't want to let my personal life get involved in my job," Wallace explained, per The Washington Post. A resilient journey Wallace's life, both personal and athletic, has seen its share of highs and lows, but one trait that stands out during his journey is resilience, a trait forged from early on. Gro...

https://www.sportscasting.com/news/3-haircuts-split-lip-charles-oakley-ben-wallace-nba-hall-of-fame/ By JACK DOUGHERTY SPORTS EDITOR Published - 13 Sep 2021 We publish independently audited content meeting strict editorial standards . Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team. Ben Wallace is officially a Hall of Famer. The Detroit Pistons legend was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend after an incredible NBA career that spanned 16 seasons. It wasn’t an easy road to even reach the NBA, though. Wallace went undrafted in 1996 after a quiet collegiate career at Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union, but he might’ve never even played in college or made it to the league if not for some $3 haircuts and a physical 1-on-1 game against Charles Oakley when he was a teenager.  Ben Wallace’s winding path to NBA glory Former Detroit Piston Ben Wallace leaves the floor after a halftim...

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/charles-oakley-and-ben-wallace-reflect-on-their-1-on-1-games As Wallace described it, his first 1-on-1 battle with Oak was like a “life or death” match. JOHN JEFFERSON TAN MAR 10, 2024 6:22 PM EDT START CONVERSATION If there's one thing Ben Wallace has always had in him since Day 1, it is his unbreakable will. Like any other teenager dreaming of becoming a basketball player, Wallace patiently waited for an opportunity to take a step forward to achieve his goal. Fortunately for young Ben, NBA legend Charles Oakley was running a basketball camp in his hometown in Alabama. True to form, Wallace did everything to ensure he would take advantage of the opportunity. He began side-hustling as a barber and charged $3 per haircut. He then earned enough funds for Oak's camp. Wallace was well aware of Oakley's reputation. He knew he would learn to be a tough player, but he didn't think it would be through a series of 1-on-1 games ag...

Pistons' Ben Wallace ties up Indiana Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal for a jump ball during the third quarter in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday, June 1, 2004, at the Palace of Auburn Hills. JULIAN H. GONZALEZ, DETROIT FREE PRESS https://eu.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2021/03/18/ben-wallace-detroit-pistons-nba/6940151002/ Bill Dow | Special to Detroit Free Press As part of his series on former Detroit sports figures , Bill Dow caught up with Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace, who 20 years ago arrived in Detroit to become one of the game’s most dominant defensive players and a fan favorite.  Last week, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wallace is one of 14 finalists for the 2021 induction . The Class will be announced May 16. It is the third time he has been a finalist.  How we remember him During the second golden age of the Pistons in the mid-2000s, the undersized center at 6 feet 9 and 240 pounds of solid muscle became one of the g...

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/chauncey-billups-on-how-ben-wallace-guarded-shaquille-oneal-in-04-finals 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. JOHN JEFFERSON TAN APR 20, 2024 6:14 PM EDT DETROIT PISTONS LOS ANGELES LAKERS START CONVERSATION 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 ...

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/the-game-ben-wallace-destroyed-shaquille-oneal MATTHEW DUGANDZIC OCT 5, 2018 1:22 PM EDT VIDEOS START CONVERSATION Shaquille O'Neal was such a dominant force in the NBA, that there are rare players that can say they could contain him, or even better stop him. But Ben Wallace is on of them. In the 2004 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference , the Lakers held home court advantage. But the Pistons would split the two games in LA and hold their home court advantage in games 3 and 4. The stage was in game 5, as the Pistons were leading 3-1 and getting ready to celebrate in the Palace of Auburn Hills. Shaq was being dominant as usually through the series averaging 26.6 PPG and 10.8 RPG. But on the other end, a specialist in his own domain was waiting for him. Ben Wallace was never the most skilled player or the guy you would throw the ball into the post and let him ...

https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/pro/2004/06/12/Pistons-in-control-Detroit-defense-suffocates-Lakers/stories/200406120035 Donald Emmons - Toledo Blade JUN 12, 2004  12:40 PM It's cliche to say, "Defense wins championships." Truth be told, there's some truth behind the claim when applied to the NBA. Over the previous 15 seasons the eventual NBA champion had been ranked among the top five in at least one of the two major defensive categories - opponents points per game or opponents field goal percentage - in either the regular season or during the playoffs. Such claims paint a pretty picture for the Detroit Pistons, who are two wins shy of claiming the franchise's third NBA title. Detroit ranked first in opponents points per game (82 ppg) and third in opponents field goal percentage (41 percent) in the NBA during the regular season. L.A. ranked 16th in opponents points per game (94.3 ppg ) and opponents field goal percentage (44 percent). The Pistons orchestrated ...

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/larry-brown-compares-ben-wallace-to-bill-russell-wilt-chamberlain-nate-thurmond For Coach Brown, “Big Ben” is similar to Wilt, Bill and Nate in one category JOHN JEFFERSON TAN AUG 19, 2024 11:28 AM EDT DETROIT PISTONS START CONVERSATION Many iconic NBA players have left an indelible mark on the game, but only a few are comparable to that of legends like Bill Russell , Wilt Chamberlain, and Nate Thurmond. Among those who recognize the significance of the trio's impact is Hall of Fame NBA coach Larry Brown . While the statement above is true, Brown strongly believes that one player is in the same breath as "The Big Dipper," "Whiskers," and "Nate the Great." For Coach Brown, it's his former pupil and Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace . "Bill Russell, we can look at his numbers. And Wilt's numbers. And Nate Thurmond's numbers. But they impacted the game in so many ways. Ben was like that,"...

Image: Ben Wallace won four Defensive Player of the Year  awards during his 16-season NBA career. https://www.skysports.com/nba/news/36226/12400504/ben-wallace-how-the-detroit-pistons-center-went-from-undrafted-to-the-basketball-hall-of-fame As an undrafted, undersized center who averaged less than six points per game for his career , Ben Wallace has nevertheless battled his way into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 as one of the best defensive players of his generation By Steve Aschburner for NBA.com  Monday 6 September 2021 13:07, UK  Cases can be made for other NBA drafts as the league’s best ever – the 1984 Michael Jordan and 2003 LeBron James editions spring immediately to mind.  But a documentary that premiered on NBA TV in April and has been in regular rotation since makes an awfully persuasive argument for the talent that rushed through the doors on June 26, 1996. Allen Iverson. Marcus Camby. Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Stephon Marbury. Ray Allen. ...