Rasheed Wallace: Divorce, Marital Life, Fouls & Charity

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From swish to swirl, the controversial journey of Rasheed Wallace, the 4X NBA All-Star, philanthropist, and divorcee, is filled with triumphs, ordeals, and tabloid headlines.

Rasheed Wallace is a former basketball player and men’s basketball coach for the Memphis Tigers (2021-2022.)

Wallace is a native of Philadelphia who played collegiate basketball at the University of North Carolina before declaring for the NBA Draft in 1995.

Rasheed Wallace, Former NBA Player
Rasheed Wallace, Former NBA Player (Source: BVM Sports)

Wallace won the 2004 NBA championship with Detroit Pistons.

As per his playing techniques, he is known for his quick transformation from pleasant guy to hothead. 

Interested to know more about Rasheed Wallace? Stay with us until the end of this article; before that, here are some quick facts!

Quick Facts

Full Name Rasheed Abdul Wallace
Birth Date September 17, 1974 
Birth Place Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nick Name Sheed, Jail Blazer
Religion Islam
Nationality American
High School Simon Gratz High School
College North Carolina University
Playing Career 1995–2010, 2012–2013
Zodiac Virgo
Chinese Zodiac Tiger
Father’s Name Sam Tabb
Mother’s Name Jackie Wallace
Siblings Two Older Brothers
Age 49 Years Old
Height 6’11 “/2.11 m/211 cm
Weight 104 kg/ 230 lb.
NBA Draft Round: 1, Pick: 4th Overall, 1995
Shoots Right
Food Habits Non-Vegetarian
Points  16,006 (14.4 PPG)
Rebounds  7,404 (6.7 RPG)
Blocks  1,460 (1.3 BPG)
Hair Color Black
Eye Color Brown
Career Highlights 
  • NBA champion (2004)
  • 4× NBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2006, 2008)
  • NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1996)
  • Consensus second-team All-American (1995)
  • First-team All-ACC (1995)
  • ACC All-Freshman team (1994)
  • No. 30 honored by North Carolina Tar Heels
    Mr. Basketball USA (1993)
  • USA Today’s High School Player of the Year (1993)
  • 2× First-team Parade All-American (1992, 1993)
  • McDonald’s All-American (1993)
Build Athletic
Marital Status Divorced
Ex-Wife
  • Chiquita Bryant
  • Fatima Sanders (1998-2013)
Girlfriend N/A
Jersey Number 30, 36
Coaching Career 2013-Present
Position Assistant Coach

  • (2013–2014) Detroit Pistons (Assistant)
  • (2019–2021) Jordan HS
  • (2021–2022) Memphis (assistant)
League American Athletic Conference
Net Worth $75 Million
Social Media Instagram
Merch  Poster
Last Update March 2024

Early Life & Education

Rasheed was born on September 17, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The player was raised with two other elder siblings. 

Jackie Wallace was a single mother to her three sons who worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare.

Whereas Sam Tabb, his father, was a street basketball player who was primarily absent in Rasheed’s life.

Rasheed and his two older brothers, Malcolm and Muhammad, lived in North Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood.

From an early age, the player was interested in basketball and eventually pursued it as a profession. 

Apart from playing basketball, Rasheed was also interested in painting. He went to the prestigious Simon Gratz High School and took an art class, where he astounded his instructor with his innate talent.

However, after two years, Wallace dropped out of the art class to concentrate on basketball.

High School Career

After his senior season, Rasheed was voted USA Today’s High School Player of the Year and Basketball Times’ first-team All-America.

Rasheed was also a two-time Parade All-American first-team selection. The player averaged sixteen points, fifteen rebounds, and seven blocks while playing only 19 minutes per game in his final year.

College Career

The University of North Carolina coach, Dean Smith, recruited Wallace to attend Chapel Hill, North Carolina college.

Wallace and Wallace’s future Detroit coach, Larry Brown, regarded Smith as a mentor. Rasheed said his friendship with Brown in North Carolina helped him assimilate fast to the Pistons system.

The player was a national success story during his two years at North Carolina. Similarly, the Associated Press recognized him as a second-team All-American during his sophomore year at UNC.

Rasheed and future NBA star Jerry Stackhouse helped the Tar Heels reach the NCAA Final Four in 1995.

After his second season, the player departed North Carolina to join the 1995 NBA Draft and was the fourth overall pick by Washington Bullets.

Professional Basketball Career

Rasheed appeared in 65 games with the Washington Bullets as a rookie in 1995, starting 51 instead of the injured Chris Webber, and he was named to the All-Star Weekend rookie team.

The player was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers along with Mitchell Butler at the end of the season in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant.

After spending eight seasons with the Blazers, Rasheed was moved to the Hawks on February 9, 2004, along with Wesley Person, for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, and Dan Dickau.

Wallace appeared in just one game for the Hawks, scoring 20 points in the first three quarters.

Rasheed Wallace Standing
Rasheed Wallace Standing (Source: BVM Sports)

Following that, the player moved to the Detroit Pistons. He had 10 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks in the Pistons’ 76–66 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on February 23, 2004.

On July 8, 2009, Wallace signed a three-year contract with the Celtics. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals in 2010. However, they were beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. 

Retirement

Wallace’s agent, Bill Strickland, indicated on June 25, 2010, that Wallace would likely retire from the NBA. The decision was confirmed on August 10, after the Celtics’ buyout of his contract.

Later, on October 3, 2012, Rasheed signed with the Knicks after he came out of his retirement.

On February 27, 2013, he stated that he suffered a fractured left foot and would be out for eight weeks as he was set for surgery.

Rasheed returned for one final game, playing three minutes off the bench on April 15, 2013. Following a brief comeback, the player announced his second retirement on April 17, 2013.

Fouls & Suspension

During his time in the league, Wallace was known for having the most technical fouls in a single season. The player got 41 technical fouls in 80 games during the 2000–01 season. It is an average of one technical foul every two games.

The player was suspended for seven games by the NBA in 2003 for confronting then-referee Tim Donaghy as he gave him a technical foul with 9:45 left in the third quarter, after he made a season-high 38 points and 10 rebounds.

That was the most extended ban in the league for an incident that did not involve violence or substance misuse. 

The Jail Blazers

Rasheed was far from the only perceived troublemaker on the Portland Trail Blazers at the time.

For instance, his teammates, Bonzi Wells, Damon Stoudamire, and Zach Randolph, were also frequently criticized by media and fans for off-court outbursts and legal incidents.

As a result, the team was often called out as The Jail Blazers.

Awards

  • 2004 NBA champion
  • 4× NBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2006, 2008)
  • 1996 NBA All-Rookie Second Team 
  • 1995 Consensus second-team All-American 
  • 1995 First-team All-ACC 
  • 1994 ACC All-Freshman team 
  • No. 30 honored by North Carolina Tar Heels
  • 1993 Mr. Basketball USA
  • 1993 USA Today’s High School Player of the Year 
  • 2× First-team Parade All-American (1993, 1992)
  • 1993 McDonald’s All-American

Marital Life

The player was married to Fatima Sanders in 1998, and they had three children together; Nazir Wallace, Malik, and Rashaya Wallace.

Rasheed had one child, Ishmiel Wallace, with his ex-wife, Chiquita Bryant, before Fatima.

Apart from Ishmiel and Rashaya, Nazir and Malik are basketball players like their father, Rasheed.

Court Struggle

The couple’s legal spat began in 2013 when Rasheed retired from the New York Knicks and left his wife.

He relocated to North Carolina to play collegiately at the University of North Carolina. The couple’s two children returned to their Rochester Hills home, where they had resided for over a decade.

In early July 2014, Rasheed filed for divorce in North Carolina, and Sanders filed her divorce petition in Oakland County three weeks later.

She also attempted to overturn the couple’s 1998 prenuptial agreement, signed after their wedding day, saying it was “forged.”

Rasheed Wallace & Fatima Sanders
Rasheed Wallace & Fatima Sanders (Source: Jock And Stiletto Jill)

Similarly, she challenged Wallace’s North Carolina divorce filing, claiming the court lacked jurisdiction.

Sanders questioned whether Wallace was truly a North Carolina resident because he rented an apartment in Troy.

Further, according to Sander’s lawyer, the player did not pay his ex-wife for six months following the dueling divorce petitions. 

Previous Relationship

Rasheed had a son, Ishmiel Wallace, from his previous relationship with Chiquita Bryant.

Although the judge had given Rasheed custody of Ishmiel in June 1997, Chiquita Bryant went into hiding with Ishmiel and refused to turn him up.

After Rasheed’s attorney and a private detective could not find Bryant, the player utilized his popularity to locate his son.

On December 13, 1997, he filmed an interview with TNT in which he described his situation and the difficulties of playing basketball in Ishmiel’s absence.

A viewer in Kings Mountain, N.C., who recognized Chiquita, phoned authorities with an anonymous report less than a week later.

As a result, father and son were reunited at 12:02 am on Christmas morning. The player exclaimed it to be the best Christmas present ever. 

Coaching Career

Rasheed signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Pistons in July 2013 and joined as an assistant coach.

Later the player was introduced as the next boys’ varsity basketball head coach at Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina, on March 8, 2019.

Likewise, Rasheed agreed to join as Penny Hardaway’s assistant coach at Memphis on August 18, 2021.

Trivia

  • Rasheed has several tattoos on his upper body (sun, the royal family of Egyptians, and more).
  • Wallace has an elegant automobile collection that includes Hummer H1, a high-end Maybach 57, a Mercedes S-Class, and a 1996 Ford Bronco.
  • Rasheed also has a magnificent 10,568-square-foot property in Rochester Hills, Michigan, worth roughly $3.7 million.
  • The player is a Virgo and follows Islam.
  • The player popularized the term “Ball don’t lie,” which is used when an opponent player misses a free shot following a disputed call by the officials.
  • During the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Rasheed wore caps and other apparel with the Philadelphia Flyers logo during news conferences and interviews with the Boston Celtics, which sparked outrage among Boston supporters. 

Charity

Rasheed was a powerful voice and a helping hand in Flint, a city in Michigan, during their water problem. He brought water door-to-door during the summer of 2016.

The player also published a letter in the Players Tribune to promote awareness. Further, he spoke about the crisis on the television show Area 21.

Wallace’s actions encouraged athletes like Stephen Jackson, Rachel Nichols, Kyle Kuzma, and others to volunteer in Flint.

Besides that, in 1997, the player founded the Rasheed Wallace Foundation to support people in Portland, Philadelphia, and Durham, North Carolina.

The foundation organized yearly coat drives, food drives, and funding for inner-city schools, including recreation facilities in the three cities.

Wallace also funded teams that needed help getting to basketball competitions. He sponsored yearly basketball camps in Philadelphia and Durham for kids who wanted to be professional basketball players.

Net Worth

Wallace’s net worth is $75 million as of 2024, derived from his successful NBA career and endorsement deals.

The player earned a massive $150 million throughout his 17-season NBA career.

Rasheed Wallace's House That Worths Around $3.7 Million
Rasheed Wallace’s House Worth Around $3.7 Million (Source: Wealthy Peeps)

He received a minimum salary of $1.7 million while playing with the New York Knicks. Wallace’s yearly salary from the Blazers was roughly $17 million in 2003-04.

Rasheed earned a record $60 million while playing for the Detroit Pistons. Further, he earned roughly $12 million during his brief time with the Celtics.

The former NBA player works as an assistant coach with the Memphis Tigers and earns roughly $6-$7 million yearly.

Social Media

Rasheed is active on his Instagram, with a massive following of above 100k followers.

His last post on his Instagram was about wishing Valentines to his former NBA teammates, captioned with “It’s all about love today.

  • Instagram: 118k Followers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which teams does Rasheed Wallace root for?

Rasheed supports the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and Phillies (MLB). However, he does not root for the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL). Instead, the player is a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs supporter.

How much does Rasheed Wallace weigh?

The former NBA player is athletic and weighs around 230 lb.

Aayusha
Aayushahttps://playersbio.com/

Aayusha Bhattarai

Aayusha Bhattarai is a dedicated writer with a passion for uncovering the fascinating stories behind athletes' lives. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, she brings readers on a journey through the triumphs, struggles, and inspirations of their favorite players.

Expertise:

Athlete Profiles Net Worth

Highlights

  • Aayusha explores the off-field lives of athletes, from their hobbies and interests to their family dynamics.
  • She keeps readers informed with the latest news and developments in the world of sports.

Experience

Aayusha's passion for sports journalism stems from her love of both writing and athletics. With a background in journalism and a keen interest in sports, she combines her talents to deliver compelling stories that resonate with readers.

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