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Gerald Wallace

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Gerald Wallace
Wallace with the New Jersey Nets in 2012
Personal information
Born (1982-07-23) July 23, 1982 (age 42)
Sylacauga, Alabama, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolChildersburg (Childersburg, Alabama)
CollegeAlabama (2000–2001)
NBA draft2001: 1st round, 25th overall pick
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Playing career2001–2015
PositionSmall forward
Number45, 3
Career history
2001–2004Sacramento Kings
2004–2011Charlotte Bobcats
2011–2012Portland Trail Blazers
2012–2013New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets
2013–2015Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points9,933 (11.9 ppg)
Rebounds4,838 (5.8 rpg)
Assists1,725 (2.1 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Gerald Jermaine Wallace (born July 23, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Crash", he was named an NBA All-Star and voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team while with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010. He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

High school and college career

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Wallace attended Childersburg High School in Childersburg, Alabama, where he had a very successful career. For his senior season efforts, he was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, an honor given to the best high school basketball player.[1]

Wallace attended the University of Alabama for one season before declaring himself eligible for the 2001 NBA draft. Wallace was drafted in the first round as the 25th overall pick.[2] In 2000–01, he averaged 9.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Professional career

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Sacramento Kings (2001–2004)

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In three seasons with the Sacramento Kings, Wallace rarely played, but in his brief appearances, he made himself known for his versatility and extraordinary athleticism. In the 2002 Slam Dunk Contest, Wallace finished second to two-time winner Jason Richardson. On December 1, 2002, Wallace led Sacramento in scoring with a then-career-high 21 points, and grabbed eight rebounds, during a 103–84 win over the Houston Rockets.[3] During his tenure with the Kings, Wallace was the odd man out in a deep roster that included All-Stars Chris Webber, Peja Stojaković, and Vlade Divac.

Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2011)

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Wallace was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats as part of the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft.[4] In his first season he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks a game. He continued to improve in 2005–06, before getting injured in January, averaging 14.5 points and 7 rebounds, and ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in field goal percentage (54.142), blocks (2.19), and steals per game (2.44). Since the NBA began counting blocks as a statistic in 1973, only two other players (David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon) in league history have averaged over 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game in a single season.

Wallace was known for his somewhat reckless style of play that led to frequent injuries and earned him the nickname "Crash".[5] He missed a total of 39 games in his first two years with the Bobcats, but his energetic and sometimes dangerous behavior that may have caused his injuries was also what contributed to his gaudy defensive stats. Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said of Wallace, "Gerald can only play one way and be effective. Energy – that's his game." In 2006, Wallace attempted to refine his game in order to avoid being injured, and as a result his numbers suffered. The first month of the season, Wallace had only five total blocks (an average of .3 per game) and his averages were down across the stat line from 2005. Wallace improved his play in the second month of the season, but he went down with a separated shoulder in a December game against the Indiana Pacers. When he returned, Wallace continued his fine play finishing the season averaging 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 72 games.

Wallace contesting Richard Hamilton's jump shot in January 2009

Wallace appeared opposite Tim Duncan in the March 2008 "SLAM-UP" centerfold for SLAM Magazine.

Wallace suffered a Grade 3 concussion on February 23, 2008, after taking an unintentional elbow to the face from Sacramento's Mikki Moore.[5] It was his fourth concussion in as many seasons with the Bobcats.[5] It was not clear when he would return,[5] although Grade 3 concussions are defined by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons as ones that "involve post-traumatic amnesia for more than 24 hours or unconsciousness for more than five minutes. Players who sustain this grade of brain injury should be sidelined for at least one month, after which they can return to play if they are asymptomatic for one week."[6] He returned later on in the season, finishing the year with a new career high in points, assists, and minutes.

He suffered a partially collapsed lung and a fractured rib after being flagrantly fouled while driving for a layup by Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum on January 27, 2009, and was forced to miss seven games. He also was unable to fly and instead crossed the United States en route back to Charlotte by bus.[7]

Wallace was selected to play in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas,[8] becoming the first and only Charlotte Bobcat to do so (with the Bobcats changing their name back to their original Hornets name after reclaiming the Charlotte NBA history originally owned by the Pelicans franchise in 2014). Wallace was also selected to participate in the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest. He was also selected to the 2010–2012 USA Basketball Men's National Team to represent the United States in the 2010 FIBA World Championship along with a possible trip with the team to the 2012 Olympics.[9]

In the first-ever playoff game for the Bobcats, Wallace led the team with 25 points. This franchise playoff single game scoring record lasted until game 2 of the series, when Stephen Jackson broke the record by scoring 27 points.

In 2010, Wallace was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.[10] During the 2010–2011 season as a Bobcat, he averaged 15.6 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game in 39 minutes per game. He played 48 games with the team during the season.

Wallace is one of three players in NBA history (the others being David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon) to average at least two steals and two blocks per game over the course of an entire season.

Portland Trail Blazers (2011–2012)

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On February 24, 2011, Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, and two future draft picks.[11] He provided help for the team while Brandon Roy was injured. The Trail Blazers finished 48–34, good for the playoffs. They lost in the opening round to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. In the next season as a Trail Blazer, Wallace averaged 13.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per game in 35.8 minutes per game. He played 42 games with the team that season.

New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (2012–2013)

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Wallace with the Nets

On March 15, 2012, Wallace was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Shawne Williams, Mehmet Okur and a 2012 top-3 protected 1st round draft pick (which became Damian Lillard).[12] On April 8, 2012, Wallace injured his left leg on a put back dunk and played only two more games that season.[13] Wallace played in 16 total games for the Nets that season and averaged 15.2 points per game. On July 11, 2012, Wallace re-signed with the Nets. The contract was reportedly worth $40 million for four years.[14] In the first game of the season Wallace injured his left ankle. With just 27 seconds left on the game clock, Wallace got hurt trying to block a shot by Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry. After the game the team announced it was a sprained left ankle. Wallace missed six games before making his return.[15] Wallace got injured again when the Nets played the Phoenix Suns on January 11, 2013. Wallace injured his ribs after the Phoenix Suns player P. J. Tucker fouled him hard while attempting a fast break dunk early in the first quarter. Wallace landed awkwardly on the floor and remained on the court for several moments before being helped to get on his feet and to the locker room. He did not return to the game. Wallace missed two games.[16]

Boston Celtics (2013–2015)

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Wallace was traded to the Boston Celtics on July 12, 2013, in a multi-player deal that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the Nets.[17]

On February 28, 2014, Wallace was ruled out for the rest of the season after an MRI revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee.[18][19][20]

On July 27, 2015, Wallace was traded, along with Chris Babb, to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for David Lee.[21] Four days later, Wallace was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, along with cash and draft considerations, in exchange for Jason Thompson.[22] On September 27, 2015, he was waived by the 76ers.[23]

Wallace's final NBA game was Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference First Round on April 26, 2015, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston lost the game 93 – 101 with Wallace recording 1 rebound and no other stats in 3 and half minutes of playing time.

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2001–02 Sacramento 54 1 8.0 .429 .000 .500 1.7 .5 .4 .1 3.2
2002–03 Sacramento 47 7 12.1 .492 .250 .527 2.7 .5 .5 .3 4.7
2003–04 Sacramento 37 1 9.1 .360 .000 .458 2.0 .5 .4 .4 2.0
2004–05 Charlotte 70 68 30.7 .449 .274 .661 5.5 2.0 1.7 1.3 11.1
2005–06 Charlotte 55 52 34.5 .538 .280 .614 7.5 1.6 2.5* 2.1 15.2
2006–07 Charlotte 72 71 36.7 .502 .325 .691 7.2 2.6 2.0 1.0 18.1
2007–08 Charlotte 62 59 38.3 .449 .321 .731 6.0 3.5 2.1 .9 19.4
2008–09 Charlotte 71 71 37.6 .480 .298 .804 7.8 2.7 1.7 .9 16.6
2009–10 Charlotte 76 76 41.0 .484 .371 .776 10.0 2.1 1.5 1.1 18.2
2010–11 Charlotte 48 48 39.0 .433 .330 .739 8.2 2.4 1.2 1.0 15.6
Portland 23 15 35.7 .498 .338 .767 7.6 2.5 2.0 .7 15.8
2011–12 Portland 42 42 35.8 .472 .265 .776 6.6 2.7 1.5 .6 13.3
New Jersey 16 16 35.8 .416 .385 .859 6.8 3.1 1.4 .7 15.2
2012–13 Brooklyn 69 69 30.1 .397 .282 .637 4.6 2.6 1.4 .7 7.7
2013–14 Boston 58 16 24.4 .504 .297 .465 3.7 2.5 1.3 .2 5.1
2014–15 Boston 32 0 8.9 .412 .333 .400 1.8 .3 .5 .1 1.1
Career 832 611 29.7 .469 .312 .709 5.8 2.1 1.4 .8 11.9
All-Star 1 0 15.0 .333 .000 .000 3.0 1.0 .0 .0 2.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2002 Sacramento 5 0 2.8 .000 .000 1.000 .2 .2 .0 .2 .8
2003 Sacramento 7 0 2.6 .400 .000 1.000 .7 .0 .0 .1 .9
2004 Sacramento 3 0 6.7 .500 .000 .500 .7 .3 .3 .3 2.3
2010 Charlotte 4 4 41.0 .477 .455 .657 9.0 2.3 1.3 1.5 17.5
2011 Portland 6 6 37.7 .448 .176 .875 9.2 2.8 1.3 .5 15.2
2013 Brooklyn 7 7 34.7 .463 .379 .550 4.0 2.4 1.1 .7 12.0
2015 Boston 1 0 4.0 .000 .000 .000 1.0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Career 33 17 20.9 .455 .333 .726 3.9 1.4 .7 .5 7.9

Personal life

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Wallace started The Gerald Wallace Foundation to provide opportunities for underserved children and their families in his hometown of Childersburg, Alabama, and his former playing city of Portland, Oregon.[24]

References

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  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "NBA Draft 2001". www.nba.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  3. ^ Kings defeat Rockets for ninth straight time
  4. ^ "Gerald Wallace Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d "Bobcats reach out to NFL's Panthers for help with Wallace's concussion". ESPN. February 26, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  6. ^ "Occupational Hazard: Updates on Yao, Butler, G. Wallace". ESPN. February 29, 2008. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
  7. ^ "Wallace injured in collision with Bynum". ESPN. January 28, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  8. ^ "Gerald Wallace All-Star profile". NBA.com. April 12, 2010. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  9. ^ "Gerald Wallace named to USA national team". AL.com. February 13, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "Orlando's Howard, Boston's Rondo lead All-Defensive Team". NBA.com. May 5, 2010. Archived from the original on May 8, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  11. ^ "Trail Blazers Acquire Gerald Wallace" (Press release). Portland Trail Blazers. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  12. ^ Marc Stein (March 16, 2012). "Nets agree to acquire Gerald Wallace". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  13. ^ "Gerald Wallace soars for huge put-back dunk, injures left leg on the landing (VIDEO)". yahoo.com. yahoo. April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  14. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Re-Sign Gerald Wallace". NBA.com. July 11, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  15. ^ "Gerald Wallace playing through pain for Brooklyn Nets, admits to physical and mental slump". New York Daily News. nydailynews.com. February 27, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  16. ^ Patt, Jason (January 12, 2013). "Gerald Wallace injury: Bruised ribs for Nets forward". sbnation.com. sbnation. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  17. ^ "Celtics Complete Trade With Brooklyn Nets". NBA.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  18. ^ "Celtics Slammed With Laundry List of Injuries". NBA.com. February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  19. ^ "Gerald Wallace's season likely over". ESPN. February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  20. ^ "Celtics' Gerald Wallace (knee) done for the season". CBSSports.com. March 1, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  21. ^ "Warriors Trade David Lee to Boston in Exchange for Gerald Wallace & Chris Babb". NBA.com. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  22. ^ "Sixers Acquire Gerald Wallace And A Draft Consideration". NBA.com. July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  23. ^ "SIXERS ANNOUNCE 2015 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER". NBA.com. September 27, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  24. ^ Murray, Malinda (January 26, 2008). "Wallace Launches Foundation To Help Shape The Lives Of Kids In Need". NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
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