Ben Wallace is a former professional basketball player. A native of Alabama, Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College and afterwards Virginia Union University.
Playing most of his career in the NBA, he is regarded by many to be the greatest undrafted player in NBA history. In his NBA career, Wallace played with the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Wallace won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, a record he shares with Dikembe Mutombo. In nine seasons with the Pistons, Wallace made two NBA Finals appearances and won a championship with the team in 2004.
The Pistons retired his jersey number 3 in 2016. Wallace was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 2021 on May 16, 2021, and will be enshrined on September 11, 2021. Wallace is a minority owner and president of basketball operations of the NBA G League's Grand Rapids Gold.