Ben Camey Wallace, commonly known as Ben Wallace, is an American former professional basketball player. He currently works as a team management advisor for the NBA club, Detroit Pistons.
Although Wallace initially failed in the NBA draft, he had a historic career in the world’s famous basketball league. Before entering the NBA, he shortly played for the Reggio Calabria in the Italian Basketball League.
Before that, Ben was a college basketball player for two different university teams, namely Cuyahoga CC and Virginia Union Panthers.
Ben’s return to the NBA and his dramatic rise to fame remained the topic of numerous NBA debates for most of the 2000s. And he deserved to be in the spotlight as he had made a comeback at a time when none had expected it.
The American center was always weaker on his offensive gameplay but was one of the best rebounders.
Ben retired in 2012, holding several records in the NBA, some of which remain unbroken even after a long time.
Now, let’s move forward to discuss his life and career in the article beneath. We’ll be starting with the Quick Facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Ben Camey Wallace |
| Known As | Ben Wallace |
| Date of Birth | September 10, 1974 |
| Birth Place | White Hall, Alabama, the USA |
| Nick Name | Big Ben |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Age | 49 years old |
| Height | 2.06 m (6 feet 9 inches) |
| Weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Not known |
| Mother’s Name | Sadie Wallace (Death:2003) |
| Siblings | Ten |
| Education |
|
| Marital Status | Married |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Wife’s Name | Chanda Wallace |
| Kids | Three (Ben Jr., Bryce, and Bailey) |
| Salary | Not available |
| Former Profession | Basketball player |
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Undrafted |
| Position | Power forward / Center |
| League | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Active Years | (1996 – 2012) |
| Net Worth | $50 million |
| Currently Plays for | None / Retired |
| Jersey Numbers | 4, 30, 3, 6 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | NBA Trading Card |
| Last Update | March 2024 |
Ben Wallace | Early Life & Family
On September 10, 1974, Ben Wallace was born in White Hall, Alabama, United States. He was born in a large household consisting of twelve people, including his mother, Sadie Wallace.
His mother and his eldest brother, Sam Doss Jr., have already passed away.
Born and brought up in White Hall, Wallace never saw his father and his mother, Sadie, did everything for him. Sadly, her earnings were not enough to feed the large family, so his elder siblings also used to work on farms.
Ben was the youngest of eight brothers and the tenth of eleven children, so he did not face as much hardship as his elder siblings. But, he too grew up in poverty and had to accompany his brothers to local pecan farms.
Sadie Wallace wanted her children to grow into educated men, so she had admitted them to school even though it was tough for her to pay their fees. In addition, she always motivated them to go for whatever they dreamed of and work to achieve it.
Ben was well-aware of his family’s conditions, so he did his best to help his mother.
Maybe because of hard work, Wallace had a well-maintained body and fabulous physique, so he had a great appetite for sports. Young Wallace began playing games when he was a small boy.
He loved playing basketball, baseball, and football more than any other games with his friends and brothers. Initially, when he was shorter, his playmates never used to pass him the ball, so he had to struggle for steals.
He remembers those moments and believes that those matches strengthened his defensive skills and helped him so much later in the NBA.
Ben Wallace | Basketball Career
High School Career
Ben Wallace played basketball for the Central High School in Hainesville, Alabama. In addition to basketball, Wallace excelled in other games and earned all-state honors in baseball, football, and basketball.
He was already a skilled rebounder when he joined his school team and became an essential part of it in every competition. Ben also met a former NBA player Charles Oakley during his high school years, who remained his mentor throughout his career.
College Career
Ben Wallace played college basketball for two different teams, namely the Cuyahoga Community College team and Victoria Union Panthers. He played for Cuyahoga at Cleveland for two seasons and showed everyone his abilities.
In one season, Wallace averaged 17.0 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game which attracted attention from all over the country.
However, Ben did not think he could make it up to the NBA from where he was, so he considered transferring to some other elite basketball team. Fortunately, Chris Oakley vouched for him, so the Victoria Union Panthers took him as a junior.
Ben contained performing better for the Panthers in his last two college seasons, securing honors like First-team All-CIAA for his performance. He finished his senior season with an average of 13.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Professional Career
After graduating college, Ben Wallace went for the NBA draft in 1996, but unfortunately, no NBA clubs picked him. Consequently, he left the country and initially joined the Viola Reggio Calabria to play in the Italian Basketball League.
In the same year, the NBA club, Washington Wizards (then Washington Bullets), offered him a place on their team, so he returned to America. However, they gave him very little playtime, so his performance in the rookie season was forgettable.
Ben played 34 matches in the entire season and finished it with an average of 1.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. The Wizards had him for two more seasons, but they eventually traded him to the Orlando Magic in 1999.
Wallace surprised everyone with his performance when he played for the Detroit Pistons in the 2001-02 season. Although he scored scarcely, he had high rebounds and blocks per game.
In his first season for the Pistons, he averaged 13.0 rebounds per game. He stayed with the Pistons for the next five seasons, during which he received several accolades and awards.
The NBA included him in almost every defensive player and team award category during his stay with the Pistons. In addition, he had his most significant achievement when he won the NBA championship ring with the Pistons in 2004.
Furthermore, he later played for two more clubs before returning to the Pistons in 2009. Although his performance declined in later years, he still was a great rebounder.
Ben Wallace eventually retired from his playing career in 2012.
Awards & Achievements
- All-NBA Second Team (2003, 2004, 2006)
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006)
- NBA champion (2004)
- No. 3 was retired by Detroit Pistons
- NBA All-Star (2003-06)
- All-NBA Third Team (2002, 2005)
- NBA All-Defensive First Team (2002-06)
- NBA blocks leader (2002)
- First-team Division II All-American – NABC (1996)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2007)
Ben Wallace | Net Worth & Career Earnings
According to different sites on Internet, Ben Wallace has a net worth of around $50 million. Ben is currently working as an advisor for the Detroit Pistons, for which they pay him well.
However, the White Hall native earned most of his wealth by playing NBA league games during his youth. Ben started small in the league basketball playing for the Washington Wizards in 1996.
For his rookie season, the Wizards paid him just around $248k. But then, his salary kept increasing over the years. However, he had not reached a one million salary mark until he played for the Orlando Magic.
Wallace signed with the Detroit Pistons in 2000, and they offered him a whopping sum of $4 million for his first season with them. While with the Pistons, Wallace improved a lot as a player and gained stardom.
As a result, his salary increased unbelievably. He stayed with the Detroit Pistons for five more seasons until 2006, during which he collected nearly $23 million. Likewise, he earned $45 million from his stints with the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ben Wallace accumulated approximately $88 million from his NBA career.
Apart from basketball, Ben has involved himself in several businesses like Green Door Distilling Company and a cannabis brand named Undrafted, which deals in various cannabis products, merchandise, and strains.
He had also owned the NBA G League club, Grand Rapids Drive, in 2018, but he dissociated with them after another NBA club, Denver Nuggets, bought the Grand Rapids.
Ben Wallace | Wife & Kids
Ben is married to a beautiful woman named Chanda Wallace. Nothing about their dating years is known, but Wallace married her in 2001, and they have been together for more than twenty years.
Chanda’s date of birth and previous whereabouts are not precise as well. Similarly, there is not much information about her academics, but she attended the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
Presently, the couple is blessed with three children. They have two sons, namely Ben Jr. and Bryce, and a daughter named Bailey. Ben mostly lives with his family in their residence in Richmond, Virginia.
All his children have grown up now, and both his sons are nearly as tall as him. Everyone in his family is pretty active on Insta, and they are pretty popular among Ben’s fans.
Facing Legal Troubles
Wallace has had legal troubles a couple of times in his life. He was first arrested in 2011 when the Detroit police found him driving while drunk. The situation became grimmer when they found he had a gun.
He later accepted his severe mistake and admitted that he had carried a gun registered in his wife’s name. Ben added that he had brought it along to protect himself while traveling to Michigan.
He pleaded guilty to the charges pressed on him, after which the court sentenced him to one year of community service and probation. Similarly, in 2014, the Henrico County police arrested him again after crashing his vehicle into a wooden fence and fleeing the scene.
The court had initially sentenced him to a one-year jail term, but he got bail after serving two days.
Age, Weight & Height
Ben Wallace is 49 years old. About his physical features, he stands 2.06 meters (6’9″) tall and weighs around 240 (109 kg). He has engraved a few tattoos on his arms as well.
Some Facts About Ben Wallace
- Ben Wallace is a fan of professional wrestling, and John Cena, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, etc., are some of his favorite wrestlers.
- His sneaker, The Big Ben, produced under the Stephen Marbury’s Starbury label, was released in 2007.
- Wallace was featured on the cover of a basketball video game named ESPN NBA 2K5 in 2004.
Social Media
FAQs
Is Ben Wallace in the Basketball Hall of Fame?
Yes, Ben Wallace is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He got the honor in 2021, becoming the first undrafted player to get his name in the NBA Hall of Fame.
Before that, he had received the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
Who has the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history?
Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo have won the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history. They both have won the award four-time each.
